Deafest/Eroding Peaks/2009 CD Review

  Deafest are a band from Littleton, Colorado that has been interviewed and all has had music that been reviewed in this zine who also play play a nature orientated form of black metal and this is a review of their 2009 album "Eroding Peaks".

Drums alternate between slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown in at times, while the bass playing has a dark tone which follows the riffing that is coming out of the guitars with a great amount of power.

Rhythm guitars are a mixture of slow, mid paced to fast raw ambient black metal riffs that also have a shoegaze feel to them and some slower soft playing, while the lead guitars when they are utilized are very primal sounding ambient black metal guitar solos with a small amount of melody, as for the classical guitars when they are utilized they bring a dark and emotional atmosphere to the music.

Just like with the new release, this album also contains no vocals making the music purely instrumental, while the themes of the music concentrate on nature, as for the production it sounds very dark and raw.

In my opinion this was another good release from Deafest and if you enjoy nature orientated black metal you should give this album a listen. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Where Gnarled Bark Still Stands" and "Continental Divide". RECOMMENDED BUY.

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Taake/Self Titled/Century Media Records/Svartekunst Productions/2009 CD Review

Taake are a band from Norway that has a history that dates back to the 90's that plays a very primal form of viking/black metal and this is a review of their self titled album which was released by Century Media Records under collaboration with Svartekunst Productions during the year of 2009.

Drums are mostly mid paced to fast with a lot of brutal blast beats, while the bass playing has a very dark tone which follows the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they bring out a very powerful sound.

Rhythm guitars are mostly mid paced to fast primal Norwegian style black metal riffs with some thrash and punk feelings to them at times along with some slower distorted riffing, while the lead guitars are very primal sounding black metal guitar solos.

  Vocals are all high pitched black metal screams, while the lyrics are written in Norwegian and seem to cover Norse/Asataru style themes, as for the production on this recording which was recorded at Innspilt i Conclave Studio in 2008 sounds very dark, raw, and heavy.

In my opinion this is another good release from Taake and this is a lot more rawer than most albums that come out on Century Media Records, if you are a fan of their previous albums you will not be disappointed  with this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Atternatt" "September omsider" and "Velg bort Livet". RECOMMENDED BUY.

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Deafest/Earth Turned Skyward/Ninth Meridian Records/2010 CD Review

  Deafest are a band from Littleton, Colorado that has also been interviewed by this zine with a nature orientated form of black metal and this is a review of their 2010 album "Earth Turned Skyward" which was released by Ninth Meridian Records.

Drums alternate between slow to mid paced drumming with only a small amount of fast playing and blast beats, while the bass playing has a dark tone that follows the riffing out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are mostly slow to mid paced black metal riffs that have an ambient and shoegaze feel to them and at times along with some slow soft playing the riffing gets doomy, while the lead guitars sound very primal and depressive, as for the acoustic guitars when they are utilized it brings a dark and depressive atmosphere to the music.

Vocals are absent from this recording, while the music concentrates on nature orientated themes, as for the production it sounds very dark and raw.

In my opinion Deafest are a very good band that should appeal to black metal fans that want something that is a little bit different. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Bighorn Slopes" and "Red Sandstone Cliffs". RECOMMENDED BUY.

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Khors/The Flame Of Eternity's Decline/Cold/Paragon Records 2010 CD Re-issue Review

 Khors are a band from Ukraine that plays an atmospheric form of pagan/black metal and this is a review of their albums "The Flame Of Eternity's Decline" and "Cold" which where re-issued by Paragon Records during the year 2010.

Drums alternate between mid paced to fast playing with a lot of blast beats, while the keyboards have a very  dark, medieval and atmospheric sound to them mixed in with some sorrowful melodies, as for the bass playing it has a dark tone which follows the riffs that are coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are mostly mid paced to fast black metal riffs and at times they have a thrash feel to them, while the lead guitars are very chaotic sounding black metal guitar solos with some melodic viking metal soloing.

Vocals are high pitched black metal screams, while the lyrics cover paganism as well as some other dark themes, as for the production it has a very dark feel going on with it.

In my opinion while Khors are not the most original band I have ever heard they still play quality atmospheric pagan/black metal and should appeal to most fans of this genre. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Eyes Of Eternal Loneliness" "Spirit Of Fury" "Ashes" and "In The Depths Of Black Hills". RECOMMENDED BUY.

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Mara Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the project for those that have never heard of you before?


Mara is an ambient black metal project that I started back in the autumn of 2006.

2. How would you describe the musical style that you are going for with your music?


In the beginning the basic idea behind the project was to combine black metal with dark ambient and industrial influences. Nowadays I am pretty uncomfortable with labels and genre classifications in general. However, I'd have to say that this description still rings true for the band, even though I have been moving farther and farther away from just being a "black metal band" in recent years.

3. What do you explore with your song lyrics?


Negativity, pessimism, dreams, mental illness, and death.


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


A "Mara" or a "Mare" is a demon that gives people nightmares. I just wanted to find something that had to do with nightmares. Although, I must admit that if I were to do it all over again I would have probably chosen a different name.

5. Do you have plans on using different musicians or is this going to stay a solo project?


Not at the moment.


I am not going to rule out the possibility, though.

6. What are the releases that you have put out sofar?


There is a lot of material. Some people might even argue that there is too much material, which is understandable really.


I have been recording for about four years now and it has all been a learning experience to me.


I have watched the material slowly grow and change. Only recently do I feel like I have finally reached a point where I am fully satisfied with what I am doing. In the beginning I couldn't bring all of my ideas to fruition because of a lack of recording knowledge and technicality. I have finally reached a point where I know how to make all of my ideas a reality.

7. How has your music been recieved so far by ambient/black metal fans worldwide?


I have no idea.


This is still a very unknown project. Hopefully, people can find some kind of value in what I am doing, but I mostly make this music for myself (I would have to be insane not to).

8. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?


Right now I am working on another project that I started earlier in the year called "Malignant Perversity."


I don't know what the future has in store for Mara at the moment. I feel that I have accomplished many of the goals that I set out to do with this project. At this point there may have to be some radical changes or evolution in the project's sound in order to keep me interested in continuing.

9. Can you tell us a little bit more about this compilation that you have put out?


This is a compilation of material from 2009/2010 (from the Abandonment, Decay, and Death demo to Even Darker Days). I consider these tracks to be the stand out tracks from those releases. Hopefully, this compilation will give the listener (who has never heard any of my material before) a pretty good idea of what Mara is all about.


10. Your music has been released on both mp3 and cd, which format do you enjoy the most?


It's released on mp3 out of necessity, since that's how most people consume music these days.


Personally, I prefer the quality of an audio CD to mp3s.


11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music, and also what are you listening to nowadays?


Since I believe in giving credit where credit is due, here is a list of some of the bands/artists that have influenced Mara (at least in the beginning):

Abruptum, Abyssic Hate, Akira Yamaoka, Burzum, Blut aus Nord, Cities Last Broadcast, COIL, Dark Ages, Gnaw Their Tongues, Godflesh, Leviathan/Lurker of Chalice, Lull (the Mick Harris ambient project), Lustmord, Megaptera, Mutiilation, My Bloody Valentine, Mz. 412, Nadja, Neuntoter Der Plage, Neurosis, Raison D'etre, Silencer, Scorn, Scott Walker (The Drift album), Shinkiro, Striborg, Sunn o))), Swans, Tho-So-Aa, Thralldom, Velvet Cacoon, Xasthur, Uno Actu, Yen Pox, etc.

I probably forgot a lot of stuff, but that should give you a pretty good idea of where I am coming from.

Lately I have been listening to the new Swans album.

I have been a big fan for a number of years now.



12. Does Occultism or Satanism play any role in the music?


Not at all.

13. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Reading, going on long solitary walks, watching a good film, etc.


14. Any final words or thoughts before we close this interview?

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Teratism Interview

1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?

Gilles de Rais- At the moment of answering this question, Teratism is in a state of flux as certain members are in various stages of the process of relocating so as to be closer to the recording studio. We are also finishing up two upcoming vinyl releases and in preproduction with our next full-length CD.

2. How would you describe the musical style of the new album that you have just put out?

Gilles de Rais- For specific reasons having to do with underlying philosophy (Satanism) and because of elements of the riffing, arrangements and production ethos, I would call it Black metal, but classification is the purvue of critics, I will leave the final verdict to them.

3. What are some of the lyrical subjects and concepts that you decided to bring out with the new releases?

Gilles de Rais- We continually strive to be a clearer, more eloquent and straightforward channel of the philosophies and energies of the left hand path both as a belief system and in terms of how it ties into the bands in our subgenre who have paved the way for us, which is reflected conceptually in our music. In other words: personal and band-related Satanism, and Satanism as a mirror that reflects the spirit of all black metal.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the album title?

Gilles de Rais- That is a secret whose nuances I have been unable to pry out of Murder, who named the album. On a less esoteric level, however, the name means 'The Way of Negativity' which refers not only to Satanism and left-hand-path magical energy, which is our guiding light, but also to electrons and thus electricity, which is a declaration of our acknowledgment that Satan is the primary active principle and inspiration behind all amplified music, let alone rock and roll, let alone metal, let alone black metal.

5. What are some of the best live shows that the band has enjoyed playing so far?

Gilles de Rais- We played a warm up set for Tom Warrior when we opened for Celtic Frost a few years ago. That is probably the crown jewel for me in terms of live moments. Aside from that, the Gathering of Shadows, an outdoor black metal cabal held in the mountains of Colorado, has been a deeply magical and rewarding engagement time and time again.

6. Do you have any plans to tour Europe in the future?

Gilles de Rais- None have been made thus far, but we are actively pursuing the right opportunity to do so, it's extremely high on our wish list and a priority for us.

7. How would you compare the label you are on now to the previous labels that have put out your past releases?

Gilles de Rais- Our current label is much more supportive than others have been in terms of covering studio expenses, packaging options for releases, and merchandising arrangements. As how well they're doing promoting Via Negativa, we're fairly satisfied with them, even though they're a smaller label. Sometimes it pays off to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond.

8. How has the reaction been to your new material by black metal fans worldwide?

V. Wrath- I've read a handful of receptive reviews and have received compliments from those I associate with. Other than that, I don't know if the album has made an impact upon fans of the genre and that in itself is a matter that I invest very little thought or energy into. The satanic current the breathes within our music does not resonate with everyone, nor should it.

9. Out off all the releases that you have put out so far, which one are you the most satisfied with?

V. Wrath- As I've held different ambitions with each release, It's difficult to say if one album takes more precedence than another in terms of my own personal satisfaction, but I will state that our last 3 releases - "Templi Omnium Hominum Pacis Abhas", "Pure Unadulterated Hate" & "Via Negativa" are all defining albums in the band's career, even if internally only.

10. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

V. Wrath- A matter of shedding skin and sharpening fangs to acquire the appropriate adepts who contribute to the music with genuine philosophical, spiritual, and magickal ethos. Future musical direction will reflect our cult's individual and collective devotion to the Black Arts while honoring the fabrics of conventional black metal. Hence the statement- "nothing is true, everything is permitted".

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and what are you listening to nowadays?

V. Wrath- Were guilty of crediting the first and second waves of black metal for inspiration in much of our current sound by time and place, but it doesn't begin or end there. Musical influences in Teratism resound from the blasphemous proclamation of the Tritone during the middle ages, to the mythological lore surrounding Robert Johnsons dire meeting at the Crossroads in the 30's, to Black Widow's profound black mass performances in the 70's, and so on... The common denominator is the Devil in all His sonic intervention, perhaps were just bold enough to recognize and admit it. To answer the second part of your question, I listen to a variety of genres and styles of music, but tend to gravitate towards the artists who are successful in creating dark and emotionally charged soundscapes. I recently re-discovered my old Mortuary Drape and Mystifier records after a short fixation on Necros Christos, before that I was spinning Blue Oyster Cult and The Devil's Blood fairly regularly.

12. I have read somewhere that beneath the studio that there is an occult library that contains a thousand books, what are some of these books and how do you apply the magickal practices out of these books to make your music and rituals more powerful?

V. Wrath- The studio you are making reference to is considered by us first and foremost, a ritual chamber. Shelved within it's walls are hundreds of books pertaining to occult, esoteric, and religious knowledge's. Subjects range anywhere from Astrology to Zoroastrianism, and amidst the almost endless assortment of titles one can also find the most diabolical grimoires ever published. The library exists to further our understanding of the occult world (and Gilles de Rais insatiable obsession with all thing's dark and Satanic) and therefore is an important resource when engaging in certain rites or study. I'm going to refrain from further discussion in the application of our practices for reasons I care not to divulge, but I will say that if one was to analyze our work in depth, those answers are revealed... albeit cryptic.

13. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

V. Wrath- Music, Satanism, and occultism are my primary interests. They are so entwined in my world that there is little separation between them and other aspects of existence that could be considered a "daily life" by most. I do however, enjoy recreational activities in the great outdoors or a good book and film at leisure.

14. Any final words or thoughts before we close this interview?

HAIL SATAN!

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Mara/Compilation 2009/10 CD Review

Mara are a 1 man project from Michigan that plays a depressive form of ambient/black metal and this is a review of their "Compilatation 2009-10".

Drum programming is mostly slow beats but speed up at times, while the bass playing has a very dark and distorted sound to it , as for the synth they bring a drone/dark ambient sound to the music mixed in with a good amount of noise effects.

Rhythm guitars are mostly slow ambient black metal riffs with some faster riffing at times and a great amount of distortion that bring a doomy drone edge to the music, and there are no lead guitars or solos present on the album.

Vocals are all high pitched black metal screams mixed in with some weird type of cryptic vocals, while the lyrics touch on pessimism, affliction, and suicide, as for the production it has a very dark and raw sound to it.

In my opinion Mara are a very good ambient black metal band that focuses heavily on creating drone sounds and if you are a fan of this style you should check out this group. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Disconnected" "Inner Ugliness" "Twisted Perversity" and "A Barren Wasteland". RECEMMONDED BUY.

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