HolyName were already featured on the pages of this zine, as they released singles that were prior to the release of this full length opus with Facedown Records. This one features twelve songs. Music of HolyName is not Krishna hardcore as their name would suggest(anybody remembers the same titles 108’s album?), but it is also devotional in lyrics, this time a love letter to their beliefs and their souls and what the guys in the band carry within themselves. Music of HolyName is interesting mixture of gentle melodies with post hardcore guitar vibes and atmosphere, like in Meet Me Somewhere. But, there are also harsher and strong metalized hardcore elements where brutal vocals mix perfectly with almost ethereal clean main vocals on choruses. The perfect example for that is one of my personal favorites Creed. There are also some almost blast beat drums in Sect, another personal favorite of mine. I don’t know why exactly but in vibe these guys remind me a bit of hardcore version of Polish band Batushka. Incredible how this band shifts with ease from doom metal influences to blasts of hardcore energy to ethereal melodies and this album shows really varied and strong songwriting. Great one.
New opus by Heilung is here. Heilung is international band project with members from Denmark, Germany, Norway…and they are something special and different from other similar acts. For starters, Heilung means healing and their music is just that. They heal with their mixture of darkened shamanic Nordic folk, Carpathian ethno music, world darkened folk music, warrior shamanic ritualistic chanting topped with Maria Franz’s almost ethereal beautiful voice. Also, their songs are in ancient languages and the instruments they play on, besides some electronics are done by themselves from bones, wood and all their atmosphere and melodies take you as a listener to some other world. Their opuses are getting better and more powerful as time passes. If you did not go, I strongly recommend their live rituals, because only if you open your mind and get into it, like phenomenal Lifa ritual which you can see on Youtube in full, will bring relief, tears, anger, warrior pride, and above all connection with spiritual in yourself. My personal favorites on this opus are: Tenet, Keltentrauer and Marduk. Excellent.
Death Reich are hailing from Sweden, being active in the scene since 2018 and this is their second e.p. opus out with Non Serviam Records.
This one contains four songs plus one Entombed cover. You guessed it, Death Reich are playing old school death metal with no holds barred blast beat aggression, growling vocals, blistering guitar solos and some d beat and subtle melody thrown in here and there only to remind they play Swedish death metal. Yet, the music of Death Reich also leans heavily into American school of death metal, Floridian masters a la Morbid Angel, Deicide come to mind immediately, also mixed with their own Swedish old school sound. Of the songs, my personal favorites are The Creator and also The Night Will Fall. Now, these guys released two e.p.-s, now it the time for full length opus and I am sure it will be a lesson in death metal.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 