Ancient Ritual/Congressus Cum Daemonone/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Ancient  Ritual  are  a  solo  project  from  an  unknown  area  that  plays  a  very  old  school  and  ambient  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2024  album  "Congressus  Cum  Daemonone".

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  very  different  approach  to  black  metal  screams  mixing  in  touches  of  ambient.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  there  are  also  a  lot  of  90's  influences.

   When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  bring  in  more  of  a  chaotic  old  school  style  while  dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  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  and  a  couple  of  songs  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing,  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  towards  the  end.

  Ancient  Ritual  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  old  school  in t he  90's  tradition  as  well  as  adding  in  a  harsh  ambient  vocal  approach  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism  and  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ancient  Ritual  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  old  school  ambient  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Congressus  Cum  Daemonone"  "Veins  of  Madness"  and  "The  Black  Goat  With  The  Flaming  Sword".  8  out  of  10.

  https://ancientritual.bandcamp.com/album/congressus-cum-daemone  

  

Ulver/Liminal Animals/House Of Mythology/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Norway's  Ulver  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  going  for  an  experimental.  and  electronic  form  of  synth  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Liminal  Animals"  which  will  be  released  on  November  29th  by  House  Of  Mythology.

  Electronic  music  sounds  and  programmed  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths  a  few  seconds  later.  Vocals  are  done  in  more  of  a  clean  style  while  the  recording  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  at  times  as  well  as  some  elements  of  ambient  also  being  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  tracks.

  Electric  guitars  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Real  drums  and  percussion  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  each  song  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other  and  touches  of  trip  hop  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

   One  song  also  introduced  trumpets  onto  the  album  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  They  also  bring  in  a  couple  of  instrumentals  as  well  as  some  whispered  vocals  also  being  utilized  briefly,  spoken  word  parts  and  female  vocals  are  also  added  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  poetry,  sorrow,  humanity  and  historical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ulver  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  their  more  recent  experimental  material,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ghost  Entry"  Locusts"  and  "Helian".  8  out  of  10.

  Website / Facebook / X / Instagram / Bandcamp

Machtklang Interview

 

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

Herrin:

After it was recorded I immediately went over to produce some social media content, a music video & I was searching for a pr company which has brought me to Against PR who do a stellar job!

2.In December you have a new album coming out, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

Herrin:

It is a mixture of doom, early & second wave black metal which came naturally as I have written all the songs.I also tried to add a little bit of acoustic material, playing a mandolin & created atmospheric sounds using a steel tongue drum.

3.Some of your lyrics cover Satanism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?

Herrin:

Since 19 years I am a Satanist after I was raised to be a Jehovah's Witness, because one of my parents being in that cult for more than 40+ years. Parallel I was s*xually abused for being trans by a catholic nun we had as a handicraft teacher from first to second grade. (That was from 1996 to 1998) As a kid I constantly prayed, that god/jehovah would make this evil nun stop molesting me. But nothing changed. God/Jehovah wasn't here. That experience has brought me to take a look into islam, into buddhism & hinduism, I looked into judaism and finally years later I was looking to see what the "enemy", Satan had to say. So I dipped my toe into satanism 19 years ago and since them I am constantly growing personally & emotionally. Personally, I do not find that the left hand path has only to do with "dark arts", because it leads to personal enlightenment & a higher awareness about how this earthly system is built to control us, the ego & the mind, to declare everything liberating as a "sin" to sell the fear of punishment in order to make you stay a sheep.

About your question:

To me, the interest in "dark arts" has been finding a way out of the mental cage religion has put over my head for so long. Of course satanism can be dark, as shadow work is important for every human being, but I can ensure you, that I am not like the cliche satanist the media has broadcasted about. Most folks cannot even differ a laveyan satanist from an anti-cosmic satanist.

4.You also add in a strong anti religion message in your lyrics, how would you describe your dislike for organized religions?

Herrin:

The dislike to religion comes of my personal experience with the people & their religion. I was abused BECAUSE I am trans by a catholic nun. I was told that I won't go to heaven/paradise by people following a religion. I was threatened to be murdered by Muslim people for existing. I was cyberbullied & name called by conservative Christians who are in Trumps MAGA cult. All these people attend to churches / mosques where their religious leader commands them, because of a imaginary friend (god) says so. However, most are just heretics and to me "holy" con - people in DRAG! But what pisses me off the most (& that's why I do MACHTKLANG) is the brainwashing of children into their religion. To me this is mental child abuse and needs to stop! How can it be normal to tell a 6 year old that if you don't behave, god will put you in hell where you will be tormented in eternity??? In today's world trans folks get painted as "predators" by the same people that brainwash & mentally abuse children with their religion & paranoia of fear & torment by an tyrannical entity they call god. This is ludacris! I cannot let this uncommented, so I use my voice, my weapon which is music....Of course I could burn down churches, but what would be the big picture??? They will rebuild everything using our tax money. Honestly it is way more effective to create awareness & change thoughts in the heads of people. You don't need to become a satanist in order to think critical. All my black metal crap is pure show. It shall fascinate you, disgust you, make people angry or otherwise trigger in any way. But my core message is strength & power to yourself and not having the religion reign over you which was once given by the location of your birthplace. Why are most europeans & americans christian? Why are most middle eastern people muslim? Why are most asian folks buddhist & why are most Indonesian people hindus????? It is because of the location you are born in & you were raised to protect this local identity given to you. Let that sink in...

5.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the lyrics?

Herrin:

The first song "Tief Begraben" is me describing what I would love to do with the nun who s*xually abused me as a child if she would still be alive. That song is simply about brutal revenge.

The second song "Machtklang" is more about finding oneself in today's world, where apps like Instagram, Facebook & TikTok has made people to become brain dead addicted smart phone zombies.

"Panzerbataillon Prometheus" is about a fantasy of destroying churches / mosques / temples with tanks to create a post religious world in which practitioners of religion can only do it in their own 4 walls anymore. 

However, the lyrics change from a violent standpoint into a more of a philosophical way of letting the war machines rest & to concentrate more of the enlightenment of people instead of causing more pain & destruction.

"Herbsthymne" is about a post religious world in which the most of the population is free from that religious mental cage which is brainwashed early on in childhood.

"Herbst" means Autumn. And just like the summer dies, I wish that the world religions will die out because of an overtaking of a risen, a higher consciousness.

For this I hope to be a trailblazer by creating ugly & brutal music to shake the sleepy minds up!

6.Originally the solo project was known as 'Finsterort', what was the cause of the name change?

Herrin:

Finsterort was my earliest project when I started out as a musician years ago. I had no concept and no plan/direction with finsterort. The renaming was necessary, because right now i got a concept, a plan & a direction. Finsterort was a name out of the german "finster", which means darkness and "ort" which means place. So basically a dark place. Machtklang means "mighty sound" or "sound of power". In Germany we have a saying that goes like: "Sprich mal ein Machtwort!" Which means having a voice to protest. To be able to be loud! To stand up for oneself! This is what Machtklang basically means. It is the "enough is enough" attitude towards religion & it's people who bully, murder & torture other people in the name of their god.

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

Herrin:

As a metalhead who not dresses like a metalhead, I constantly get told, that "I am not metal the way I dress" So, as a "fuck you" to the metal scene & community in general I am wearing one of my classy & very elegant shiny satinblouses in combination with my pearl necklace with a Leviathan cross attached to it to round it up. The blouse is black & is made of very silky, shiny satin. It has pearl buttons on its french style cuffs. It is very high class & elegant. So, as a satanist, I follow only my own rules when it comes down to my craft. I am not even feeling comfortable in labeling my own music as "black metal" to be honest, because this unnecessarily puts my art into a box. I make anti religious music & Machtklang is the vehicle for that. Also I want to have an authentic aesthetic, so I am not bending to the fashion trends in the metal scene/community.Imho metal became a society within our society. There's nothing rebellious anymore to it. You have to look like this & that and dress like this and that to be welcome???

Fuck you! 🖕🏼🖕🏼🖕🏼

8.With a lot of your projects you have recorded everything by yourself but have worked with musicians before in the past, do you prefer to work solo?

Herrin:

Yes I did and I was constantly screwed over. I see no point anymore in wasting my time with other people that are just leeches trying to suck me dry. Therefore I prefer to work solo.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Herrin:

I once was signed, but again, he tried to milk me. So no. I have no interest in being signed.

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

Herrin:

Well. I do not track the statistics to be fair. Some write me how they love it and some just hate me for whatever reason. In all honesty, I make music in the first place for myself. To cope with the experiences I had in life as a healthy way, because drinking, doing drugs or being violent won't help things evolve. So, if people love what I am doing, fine! And if people hate what I am doing, also fine. I don't care. With Machtklang, I probably won't open for Metallica. That's ok and absolutely not my goal. My goal is to write triumphant material that moves the listener & awakes emotions.

11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

Herrin:

Machtklang, as same as Being "alive" is beautiful are just two "vomit bucket" - bandprojects. For 2025 I have a first album from my total new band in my pipeline. Also, I recorded a blues album, because I wanted to make a blues album. That being said is the aim for 2025. We will see how it all will turn out :)

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that you are currently listening to nowadays?

Herrin:

I constantly listen to Judas Priest in the last months, for it gets me pumpin & makes me feel good :)

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

Herrin:

I want to thank you for having me & I want to thank each & everyone who has read the interview! Reach out to me at any time! Don't be shy!

Hail Satan! Hail Machtklang! Hail Yourself!

https://www.christinaearlymorn.com/machtklang
https://www.facebook.com/Finsterort
https://www.instagram.com/machtklang.official

Nefarious Dusk/Death Beneath A Starless Sky/Purity Through Fire/2024 Full Length Review

 

  United  Kingdom's  duo  Nefarious  Dusk  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  raw  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their  2024  album  "Death  Beneath  A  Starless  Sky"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Purity  Through  Fire.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  of  the  songs  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  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.  Synths  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  along  with  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  spoken  word  parts  and  clear  singing  are  also  added  onto  certain  sections  of  the  album,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally  introduced  into  the  music  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style. 

  On  this  recording  Nefarious  Dusk  goes  back  to  the  second  wave  era  of  early  90;s  black  metal  mixing  in  some  influences  of  the  Scandinavian  and  Polish  bands  from  that  decade.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  Cambrian  Mythology,  Death  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Nefarious  Dusk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Secrets  Within  The  Dead  Forest"  and  "Hymns  Of  Winter  Depression".  8  out  of  10.

  

www.facebook.com/nduk666     

Ante-Inferno/Death's Soliquy/Vendetta Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  United  Kingdom's  Ante-Inferno  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Death's  Soliquy"  which  was  released  by  Vendetta  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  mixed  in  with  a  few  growls  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  When  the   music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  album  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  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.

  One  song  is  also  an  instrumental  and  a  later  track  also  introduces  melodic  vocals  into  the  music  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  briefly  as  the  album  progresses.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression  and  hopelessness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ante-Inferno  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Cavernous  Blackness  Of  Night"  and  "An  Axe,  A  Broadsword,  A  Bullet".  8  out  of  10.

  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anteinferno/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ANTEINFERNO/ 
Bandcamp: https://ante-inferno.bandcamp.com/ 
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KoESQh0bNRpcBHXwxXSsL?si=vKn3L5DCRfSYghJYjSb7ZA 

Angle of H'Zazel/Thy Yoke Return/Obscure Disharmony Records/2024 EP Review

 

  Angle  of  H'Zazel  are  a  band  from  an  unknown  area  that  plays  a  very  raw,  chaotic  and  dissonant  form  of  occult  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  ep  "Thy  Yoke  Return"  which  was  released  by  Obscure  Disharmony  Records.

  Field  recordings  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  fast,  raw  and  chaotic  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  dissonant  sounding  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  A  small  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  hear d in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  briefly  while  it  is  hidden  beneath  a  very  lo-fi  atmosphere.  Clear  chants  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  riffs  also  mixing  in  a  very  repetitive  approach  and  on  one  song  also  go  into  a  brief  mid  tempo  direction  before  returning  back  to  a  more  raw  and  chaotic  pace.

  Angel  Of  H'Zazel  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  fast,  raw,  chaotic  and  dissonant  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  lo-fi  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Demonology  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Angle  Of  H'Zazel  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw,  chaotic  and  dissonant  occult  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Infinite  Torment  Of  Opposite  Illumination".  8  out  of  10.

  https://obscure-disharmony.bandcamp.com/album/thy-yoke-return     

  

Vasssav/Archangelic Ludicra/Obscure Disharmony Records/2024 EP Review

 

  Vasssav  are  a  band  from  an  unknown  location  that  plays  a  very  raw,  ritualistic  and  dissonant  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  ep  "Archangelic  Ludicra"  which  was  released  by  Obscure  Disharmony  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  ep  and  goes  on  for  a  few  minutes  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  dissonant  direction.  Vocals  are  done  in  more  of  a  deep  growling  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Clear  chants  can  also  be  heard  at  times  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  very  lo-fi  atmosphere.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  psychedelic  touches  also  being  utilized  at  times,  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  melody.

  Vasssav  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw,  ritualistic,  lo-fi  and  dissonant  sounding  as  well as  adding  in  more  of  a  death  metal  vocals  approach  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vasssav  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw,  ritualistic  and  dissonant  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "LEG  (All  The  Roads  Given)"  and  "HEAD  (A  Stressful  Venture)".  8  out  of  10.

  https://obscure-disharmony.bandcamp.com/album/archangelic-ludica