Dysthymian Interview

 

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

Somber: We started the band out of great appreciation for the depressive black metal of the mid 2000s. On EX VITA ABIRE, that's what we intended to play. 

Solemn: The luminaries of this style nourished our souls for a lifetime; now we bear the same bitter fruit.

2. Recently you have released your first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

Somber: You just have to listen to the bands and albums in question. There's not much more to it, I think. The worship of that sound is the reason for DYSTHYMIAN. 

3. The band started working on the album in 2017 but waited until 2025 to release it, can you tell us a little bit more about the long wait?

Solemn: Merely the vicissitudes of life.

Somber: Things get re-organized and prioritized different as time passes, and some projects and songs get put on the shelf for a while. DYSTHYMIAN has been one of those projects. The big second reason is that it's very difficult to write in the correct mood for DYSTHYMIAN. The music is extracted out of depression, and all of its implications. 

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

Somber: The lyrics have been inspired by Edgar A. Poe's poems, for the most part, outside of that – they're just lyrics that reflect the music appropriately, and vice versa. 

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

Somber: The name DYSTHYMIAN refers to the mental health diagnosis Dysthymia, which is a form of chronic depression. 

Solemn: Our target audience. 

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

Somber: For us, the album cover resembles the cover of Nyktalgia's 'PEISITHANATOS' CD reissue 2013. Mentioned a lot, but it is one of the main inspirations for doing DYSTHYMIAN. 

Solemn: The artist is Arya Dwiva (Mortemraw Studio).

7. Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

Somber: We have been communicating with other musicians a bit about becoming a trio. No additions to the band have yet been made. 

8. The album was released on 'Angerbada', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Somber: Ångerbåda is the label that I release several of my unsigned bands through. That is Ångerbåda's only purpose though. 

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

Somber: People seem to like it. Out of all the places that I've looked, there hasn't been anything negative yet. 

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

Somber: We have our internal speculations about the next album and how to approach writing it. We both listen to a fair amount of classical music, Solemn definitely does. It might influence the next album. But time will tell. 

Solemn: We will continue to delve deeper into the sound that is DYSTHYMIAN.

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?

Somber: The main bands that are influencing DYSTHYMIAN are Nyktalgia and Sterbend. As for music I've listened to recently, new music seldom gets played. But I have been enjoying 'Syning' by Syning. Also 'Conscious Darkness' by Blaze of Perdition, although that one isn't new to me. 

Solemn: Particularly Nyktalgia, as well as other great DSBM artists, such as Austere, ColdWorld, Thy Light and Woods of Desolation – but all music that we enjoy imparts some sort of useful reference. I've been listening to the new and old Extra Life albums a lot since they reformed with a new line-up a few years ago. Some other recent releases I've enjoyed were Un Monde de Glace et de Sang (2020) by Sorcier des Glaces, The Falling Tide (2022) by Woods of Desolation and the last two albums by Afsky, Ofte jeg drømmer mig død (2020) and Om hundrede år (2023).

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

https://youtu.be/EmIF_W5eNWw

V/Haze Miasma/Praise Me! Erase Me/Inertial Music/2025 Full Length Review

 

  V/Haze  Miasma  are  a band  from  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  a  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Praise  Me!  Erase  Me"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Inertial  Music.

  Acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  clear  singing  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  melodic  post  metal  style.  When  the  album  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing,  keyboards  and  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  closing  track  is  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  V/Haze  Miasma  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  post  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Praise  Me!"  "Shadows"  and  "Erase  Me!".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/VHazeMiasma

  

  

Norkh/Under Teargas Fire/Bleeding Heart Nihilist Productions/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Norkh  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  a  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Under  Teargas  Fire"  which  was  released  by  Bleeding  heart  Nihilist  Productions.

  A  very  fast,  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  tremolo  picking  in  the  fast  riffing  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  riffs  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  recording  progresses  some  of  the  vocals  also  add  in  more  of  a  first  wave  era  touch  as  well as  mixing  some  thrash  metal  elements.

  On  this  recording  Norkh  takes  the  modern  forms  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  influences  of  the  first  wave  era  to  create  a  very  heavy,  raw  and  brutal  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  social  issues  and  apoacalyptic  scenarios.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Norkh  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  'Under  Teargas  Fire"  "The  Grey  Old  Ones"  and  "Asset  In  Blood".  8  out  of  10.

  https://bleedingheartnihilist.de/music/en/group/music-roster/b-norkh

    

Valontuoja/Tulesta Syntynt/Inverse Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Valontuoja  are  a  solo  project  from  Finland  that h as  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  raw,  melodic  and  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  theri  2025  album  "Tulesta  Syntynt"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  inverse  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  When  synths  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  album  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Most  of  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  modern  era  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  couple  of  songs  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.

  On  this  recording  Valontuoja  brings  out  a  very  fast,  aggressive,  raw,  melodic  and  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  the  desolate  realms  of  human  despair.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Valontuoja  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  melodic  and  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Palaneiden  kasvojen  maa"  "Aurinkoroihun  kirous"  "Asiat  jotka  on  tähtiin  kirjoitettu"  and  "Kun  kaikki  muu  vaikenee".  8 out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/Valontuojablackmetal 

https://valontuoja.bandcamp.com 

Orm/Guld/Indisciplanarian/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Denmark's  Orm  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  very  epic,  melodic  and  progressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Guld"  which  will  be  released  on  Halloween  by  Indisciplanarian.

  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  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Spoken  words  are  also  utilized  briefly  along  with  some  of  the  music  also  showing  an  influence  of  classic  metal  as  well  as  the  album  also  having  its  progressive  moments,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  onto  the  recording  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  a  later  song  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  clear  vocals.

  On  this  recording  Orm  takes  their  melodic  and  epic  style  of  black  metal  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction  as  well  as  mixing  in  elements  of  death  and  traditional  metal  to  take  their  sound  to  a  different  level.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Danish  and  cover  modern  humanity's  self-destructive  cultivation  of  negative  emotions.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Orm  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  epic,  melodic  and  progressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Af  Magt"  and  "Martret".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/ormband

https://www.instagram.com/ormmusic

https://ormband.bandcamp.com

Omnikoloss/コンクリートの谷を彷徨って II/Unholy Conspiracy Deathwork2025 Full Length Review

 

  Omnikoloss  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine    with  members  from  Steller  Master  Elite,  Der  rote  Milan  and  Captain  Caveman  that  plays  a  soundtrack  inspired  form  of  atmospheric  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "コンクリートの谷を彷徨って II"  which  will  be  released  on  October  24th  by  Unholy  Conspiracy  Deathwork.

  Dystopia n  style  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  distorted  voices  a  few  seconds  later.  Synths  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  only  track  that  is  presented  on  the  recording  is  also  almost  27  minutes  in  length  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  while  angry  black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  mixed  in  with  a  few  growls  when  the  recording  goes  into  a  heavier  direction.  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  song  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  some  spoken  words  and  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  briefly  and  the  album  also  has  its  experimental  moments  as  well  as  some  blast  beats  also  being  added  in  for  a  few  seconds.

  On  this  recordingOmnikoloss  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  dystopian  and  science  fiction  style  soundtrack  music  to  create  something  different.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  dystopian  and  futuristic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  Omnikoloss   and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  soundtrack  orientated  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  8  out  of  10.

  https://omnikoloss.bandcamp.com        

Noir Noir/Black Curtain/Divine Swelling/Sentient Ruin Laboratories/2025 Compilation Album Review

 

  Noir  Noir  are  a  solo  project  from  Spain  that  plays  a  mixture  of  raw  black  metal,  death  industrial  and  darkwave  and  this  is  a review  of  his  2025  compilation  album  "Black  Curtain/Divine  Swelling"  which  will  be  released  on  October  17th  by  Sentient  Ruin  Laboratories.

  Dark  ambient  soundscapes  and  synths  start  off  the  compilation  while  the  music  also  gets  very  ritualistic  sounding  at  times.  Whispers  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  bringing  in  more  of  an  industrial  style  as  well  as  the  harsh  vocals  being  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  A  lot  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed  while  harsh  noises  and  power  electronics  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  Most  of  the  tracks  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  along  with  some  songs  going  for  more  of  an  instrumental  direction  and  when  the  music  finally  goes  into  a  heavier,  fast  and  rawer  direction  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Noir  Noir  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  raw  black  metal,  dark  ambient,  noise,  power  electronics,  death  industrial,  darkwave  and  ritual  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  lo-fi  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  ritualism  and  sadism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Noir  Noir  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  raw  black  metal,  death  industrial,  and  darkwave  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Sun"  "Holodomor'  "Behind  The  Sun"  and  "Cycles".  8 out  of  10.

 BANDCAMP RELEASE