söndag 31 maj 2015

Hautakammio - Pimeyden valtakunta

After enjoying their debut album with all the blistering Finnish attacks one did not hesitate to dig into this
follow-up album!


Although this album keeps somewhat their former type of straight evil energy i would say that "Pimeyden valtakunta" takes a step back and creates its spells with a more thoughtful and self aware stance, the melodies gets some more room inside the crypt so to speak with guitars leading (could be a bit higher in the mix for my taste) with some good composing but also the drums has a quite strong presence along with the raspy  manic vocals and a doomy bass. (that feels like a dark sea engulfing it all.)
it has some nice and heavy Horna feeling to it all which can never be a wrong thing in my book.

The sound has a more dusty production this time but it has enough punch to it so i wont complain.

The best tracks from these 6 ones i would say the first one, third one and the last one especially the last bit of the last song "Rituaali" has a really a nice "embracing the end" vibe to it, both melancholic and calm but inside Hautakammios pumelting (and a bit transforming) world that is...

A good second album from this promising Finnish horde that is worth getting by all means.



Track list:

1.     Minä, tuhoaja        
2.     Kohti kuolemaa         
3.     Kadotuksen reunalla        
4.     Neitsyt Maria itkee verta        
5.     Golgata        
6.     Rituaali

...and i dont know but there is two extra tracks for some other version.
7.     Marraskuu        
8.     Golgata 2013

Released by : Immortal Frost Productions
Label Contact:
http://immortalfrostproductions.com
http://shop.immortalfrostproductions.com
http://facebook.com/immortalfrostproductions


Band contact:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hautakammio/422977844461673?fref=ts

tisdag 26 maj 2015

Iter Pactum Interview!


 
1.Greetings! Thanks for putting some time off for this! You seem to be a pretty busy beast i say!

- Thank you. I am quite busy with the project indeed, and I try to almost always be either recording or releasing something.

2.Lets take it from the start! As your first release surfaced in February last year i assume that you where a bit active even the year before putting this entity together or?
Besides that what kind of motivations did push you towards black metal and this dark path in general?


- I did actually have a project before Iter Pactum, but there was never any material released for it.
Iter Pactum started out as a side project to this one, but soon became my main project after releasing the demo and shortly after, the full length Ritual. It’s hard to say exactly why I chose the path of Black Metal, but it just seemed natural. I was not able to express myself and my ideas within the other genres of metal...

3.As it really makes reason to create black metal alone as it should be an egoistic enlightenment...
 but was the move to solitude activity a conscious move or did you have former band members that did not "work"? 


- I never had band members before starting the project, and I never have during it.
It was a conscious decision to have this as a one-man project. A few times I
have thought about having live members, but as for now I think that will never happen.
Iter Pactum is not a live band.

4.How do you describe your style of BM to people that not have heard it?
And would you say you create much out from your direct impulses rather then
polish and re-polish the music/lyrics.... as you manage to kick start last
year with such a big bunch of releases?


- I personally would simply call it Black Metal. There are too many sub-genres and
bullshit already, as in my mind either its Black Metal or it’s not. If I had to
describe my style however, I might call it atmospheric, minimalistic, raw…

As for the second part of the question, yes I do create a lot from my direct impulses.
 It’s not often I re-write or polish anything at all, as I feel it takes away from how I imagined it as it was written. Ritual was recorded all in one go, during one week in February. I believe I did not re-record a single
instrument on that entire album.

5.How would you describe your personal vision of Lucifer, Satan and Norway's BM-past?

- I believe that Lucifer, Satan, or whatever you want to call it is a symbol and nothing
else, and that it is man-made like every other religious entity.
However I believe this symbol to be something very powerful, something that man should strive towards being. As far as Norway’s Black Metal past goes I have nothing to comment…

6.And is there some difference between the Norway´s northern BM music to the southern one?
 What active bands would you say is the good main ones nowadays in your country?


- I am not too focused on today’s bands, except for a few that I know personally, therefor I do not
have much to base my assumption of any difference on. I believe there are a lot of good bands
lurking in the underground, and I am not able to name only a few.

7.Which of the two full length do you prefer yourself and what can you say is the story
 behind the song "Eighteen Stones " from your second album "Bringer of Evil"? 




- I do prefer Ritual because of its atmosphere, but I will say I would have chosen Bringer
of Evil had it not been for the way I mixed the vocals. I do not like to talk about the meaning of my songs. I believe that is for the listener to figure out, but I can tell you it’s generally about man and religion.

8.How did you come in contact with the Swedish band Flavros?

- Through a friend of mine, who told me they were looking for someone to do a split with.
I am always interested in putting out more music, so of course I said yes.


9.What can you say about the latest split you did with Evig Hat? When will it come out?

- The split with Evig Hat was something we had planned for some time, but due to problems
with the writing and recording of my third full-length it was delayed quite a bit.
As for the music, you can listen to it yourself, as it is already released.

10.Well the end is here! Whats Iter Pactums closets plans?
last roar is yours!


- My closest plans is to focus on my newest release, my third full-length album «Kuldens Vrede»
which can now be bought through LIK-Records. The digital release is only a day or two away, as well.
Other than that, I already have begun working on a new album, and I have several splits coming up in the future.

Thank you for your time.
Hails from the mountains of Norway!
- Iter Pactum


fredag 22 maj 2015

-Upcoming Interviews info-

Besides from the printed zine interviews there are some interviews that will show up here also and here is the current little list and they are in no specific order.

* Bloodlust

* Iter Pactum

* Untergang

* Goatedeum

* and some more will come

Luciferian Rites - When the Light Dies

Here is the sophomore album from the this relative new Mexican cult, as they proclaims themselves to be heavy influenced by the harsh and cold Finnish BM-climate one likes me (Finn-lover) will stop and take notice!


As i have not heard their first album or the demo before that i can not tell how they have evolved but sure is there some Finnish satanic winds blowing through here!
I think though that which is good anyway that they show both their own roots as much their inspiration...

From the start its full on satanic action with some moodier variations like song 8 (one of the best also), traditional in content and in execution just as the band intended i guess.
The music is draped in grand melancholic and traditionally melodic darkness that can be found on in Finland (often though i think that the Finns have often a harsher approach to their production sound and has a broader cultivate taste in Nordic freezing harmonies and vileness) but i also senses bits of the Hellenic scene and some others.

LF songs is nicely put together and feels not sloppy or half assed as their personal interest in this genre feels wholehearted albeit young, the whole album flows from song to song as almost it was one long song which is not directly a bad thing but to throw in some slower or different type of song in the mix would give make it stronger overall.
Production is balanced and all members work is hearable, as guitars flow trough their emotions with some good drumming and a nice bass so does the howling witch vocals as it shrieks high up in the night sky.


Fans of bands like Behexen, Wulfheim & Skuggan and similar should check it out besides from the regular hungry demonic listener.

Best tracks is 1,8,10

Track list:

1.     Eternal Misanthropy of the Black Cosmos   
2.     Incinerated Cross         
3.     Infernal Manifestation        
4.     When the Light Dies         
5.     Rotten Creed         
6.     Conviction of Nocturnal Raven         
7.     Garden of Spirits        
8.     A Dreadful Chant for Self-Destruction         
9.     All Your Lies (Diabolical Memories)         
10.     Ghost in the Shadows

Released by Moribund Records

lördag 16 maj 2015

Taran - Selftitled

It has taken quite some time for this Polish thunder-horde to spit up their first full length (they formed in 2002) but here it is and its a proud blood drooling beast!


As most of you know the Polish Bm-sound is very grand and blast beated to a punch...pun intended.
 Taran follows by all means this path but along the way it has refined and "polished" that aural culture quite nicely  as this 9 tracked (track 10 is an good Immortal cover) record avoids many trap doors that many past bands has fallen in like becoming just a barrage of overpowering drums and forget to really write a song or worse record the drum sound like it sounds like some mad man hitting on tin cans!

Taran has of course a familiar militant demonic vibe (fans of Behemoth & 1349 etc take notice) but they have made it all much more rocking and tight, they put in enough variations & dynamics into each song that time flies faster then a fart and that is not a bad thing by all means!

Both conviction and satanic attitude flows good together with what they created and with this album they will open some new eyes and ears i am sure, i hope they will keep at it now and crawl deeper down the well and find more personal dark visions to make Taran even higher and get more versatile and multi layered (content wise) for next release.

 Get it i say!
Best songs: 2,6,7

Ah! a nice unintended or intended David Lynch reference with the "Fire walk with me" lyrics in the second track. Love that movie so i guess they already got me from the start. hehe

Track lis:

1.     Intro         
2.     Reign of Hellfire         
3.     Dominus Muscarum         
4.     March of Shadows         
5.     Divine Plague        
6.     Popioły 2014 A.Y.P.S.         
7.     The Black Mark         
8.     ...of Sin         
9.     Outro         
10.     Unsilent Storms in the North Abyss (Immortal cover) 


Released by Odium Records






































A.V.D.L - Scourge

This is the second full length from this Japanese one-man band A.V.D.L, this is the first time i also have a real listen to his work besides the random song samples i heard earlier.



He labels his music as Experimental Black/Death Metal and i can agree to that...more DSBM then death on this album though, one can hear strokes from mid-era Shining with somber cyclic guitars and piano and similar but many songs  explores more musical inspirations like the mentioned death metal with full frontal attacks thats functions good and feels like fresh punch after dwelling in some of the more moody segments, even some heavy metal riffings and melodies is used to great and surprising effect like in the songs "Desolation", the vocals is mostly in the cold high pitch shrieking DSMB style with occasionall growls.

Production is both harsh and clear ans somewhat digital but it works just fine and keeps the whole package and its musical off-shoots in synch.

All in all this release has a nicely done and intriguing mix of both a traditional DSBM and murdering sonic death attacks and bends sometimes the genre into new surprising things.
Unrestful spirits suffering through our urban landscapes.

The only thing i would like to have is some lyrics or something that takes one closer to the creators interior and thus make it more personal and close.



 who is Amelia?

Track list:

1.     26:40 Tokyo         
2.     How is your life today        
3.     Solitary death         
4.     Ridiculously Deep         
5.     Desolation         
6.     Legions of violence         
7.     Gasmask Amelia         
8.     Black embrace         
9.     Scourge

Self released.
Oh by the way i did this new band logo also! Feels nice to have done it to this good release!

fredag 8 maj 2015

Diabolical Principles - The Final Step Before the Dawn

Here we have the third full album from the Greece based demons!



Even though this band has released one demo, one Ep, one compilation and one split (besides the albums) this is my first time i come across them for a good listen so i cant really compare their former works.

I have seen that some past albums have gotten mixed reviews and so but that is all i know but in relation to that i think that this album can be one of their better ones....


 DP revels  much in mid-tempo architecture but with some stand out parts that whip up the heat a bit, i would metaphorical speaking say that these dark and pretty long songs feels more like an veteran warrior with leather skin pushing its enemies slowly backwards rather then attacking with a full blown fire like some young one would do, either way is wrong, it is more a matter of taste or moment one listens to them to really taste their full flavor....which is a mix of 90´s epic Hellenic blood and some bitter 00´s BM.

First track is one of the better ones with a quite threatening guitar riff thats looping forward while the heads are rolling. The quite long playtimes are pretty well filled with enough variations without changing their evil lumberjack style. hehe

Vocals is harsh and dont really have much variation in it but it fits the mould well, some minor subtle use of keyboards is to be found but nothing that is out of bounds for this grand & suppressing aura.
 The cold "Celestial Sleep" is one more of the better ones and "The Eye of Forever" and the last part of the last song is a favorite with its strong and epic guitar melody that fades away into the darkness of the past and
rounding off this album greatly.








Track list:

1.     Eternal Shades    
2.     The Sixtythree    
3.     The Darkest of Ages    
4.     As the Shades Awake    
5.     Celestial Sleep    
6.     The Last of the Titans    
7.     The Eye of Forever    
8.     Ynotophobia

Released through:  Lower Silesian Stronghold

tisdag 5 maj 2015

Gloriam Draconis / Bloodscroll

Here we have the first spells from these two new soldiers!
From the first time i saw the band names/logos i felt drawn towards them and rightly so it turned out.


When i got this cd home i realized that they have mixed the songs a bit unusual namely they had taken turns on the track list instead of splitting them in two... i thought it could screw up the experience but that was not the case to my luck instead they serve to each others strengths and elevate it higher. Sure the both productions is a bit different with the GD a bit cleaner and grand as the Bloodscroll revels in a nice pot of raw witch soup but they fits nicely together anyway somehow.

The direct difference between them two besides that they create some strong solid underground black metal is that Gloriam Draconis has the stance and coat of a extroverted soldier of  the great serpent Tiamat and Bloodscroll has almost the opposite role with a more introverted cave ritual aura to it.
Both has strong melodies and dramatics in their music and has evidently infused some firm black flames into their works! You wont find some crying black gazing slackers here hammering away in some two riffing cycles but two creators whom fills their songs with all they got.

Not that it is in need of it but to make some referential likenesses i would say fans of Stutthof/Acherontas would like the Gloriam Draconis parts and Drowning the Light, Atra would like Bloodscroll... and people who like true black metal will like it all. hehe

I know some new nasty stuff is on the way from the GD bunker and i think also some is brewing at the Bloodscroll nest.
And be sure to check out my next sister zine Cloven Hoof which has an indepth interview with Gloriam Draconis, will be out this summer.


Track list:

1.     Gloriam Draconis - Baleum in Caelo (Dawn)    
2.     Blood Scroll - Upon Moonlit Shores of Honour        
3.     Gloriam Draconis - Ave Azerate        
4.     Blood Scroll - Within Walls of Old Fate Lies Below        
5.     Gloriam Draconis - Haunting to No End        
6.     Blood Scroll - Steel Raised in Hand as Before        
7.     Gloriam Draconis - Allmanor        
8.     Blood Scroll - Night of Mourn