Category Archives: Reviews

Reviews, Various

(recka) Mystic Circle – Mystic Circle (Atomic Fire Records)

Leave a comment

Mystic Circle su mi bili jedan od dražih bendova kada su u drugoj polovici devedesetih izdali svoj prvi album Morgenrote i tada sam jaako volio melodični i simfonični black metal sa vampirskim štihom a la Cradle of Filth, pa mi je ovaj njemački bend jako dobro sjeo sa svojim prvijencem i preslušavao sam ga na kazeti do iznemoglosti. Isto tako, drugi album, Drachenblut čijim konceptom su obradili sagu o Nibelunzima bio mi je još bolji i ovaj bend mi je bio jedan od najdražih bm bendova tada. Kasnije su prešli na neki više satanic death metal štih, koji je bio dopadljiv, ali mi nije toliko bio drag, album The Great Beast mi je prilično drag. Kasnije su se raspali i prešli u sviranje u drugim bendovima. Bio sam jako iznenađen kada sam vidio novi spot i single ovog benda sa dvojicom originalnih članova koji se odazivaju na Graf von Beelzebub i Aaaarrrgon. Ovaj novi album, povratnički, ujedno osmi dugosvirajući sadrži osam pjesama. Ima tu svega, od nemilosrdnog blast beata, potpomognutog melodičnim temama gitare i klavijature u pozadini u singlu Belial Is My Name, te brutalne Seven Headed Dragon, ali tu je i raznoritmična Hell Demons Rising, koja nas pomalo vraća u stari stil benda, ali sa podosta thrash izričaja i izmjena ritma i pomalo groovea. Grafovi vokali su blackerski uz pokoje deathersko growlanje tu i tamo, ali uvijek bih prepoznao taj glas koji me vraća u meni drago doba. Ima tu i atmosferičnih dijelova. Lirikalne teme su sotonističke, antikršćanske plus smrt i demoni, a atmosfera je ratnička i inspirativna na cijelom albumu. Stvari kao što su Letters From The Devil i Curse Of The Wolf Demon pale iskru plamenom jačim no ikad. Odličan povratak.

9/10

Reviews, Various

(review) Black Valley Moon- Songs From The Black Valley

Leave a comment

Black Valley Moon are hailing from America and this band was formed by Down By Law guitarist Sam Williams and drummer Dave Kamrath. This new album contains 13 songs of dark atmosphere, Why? Because this band manages to incorporate punk rock, namely horrorpunk, gothabilly, throw in some surf for good measure and create an atmosphere of old school sixties horror movies like those awesome American International old horror movies. This record is very guitar oriented and I must warn you that, if you search for horrorpunk played in the vein of more straightforward bands of the genre, rather choose something else, this one is more rock, surf and rock/gothabilly oriented with vocals being kinda nervous at time and shouted, but at the same time fitting perfectly to the songs and the atmosphere that this band creates. And that is, besides music, in my opinion one of the greatest advantages a band can have, when their music takes me as a listener to some other place, atmosphere and dimension, thus the art penetrates straight to the heart of the one that it is intended for. I love underground. I love how much freedom, art and discovery it provides, making each one of us find their own new favorites. Go have a listen to this one. Songs like Don´t Lie My Succubi, Sons of Dracula or Christmas In The Castle Of Blood won´t disappoint you, plus you will hear Descendents cover like you never listened to before.

Bandcamp

Reviews, Various

(review) Black Altar/Kirkebrann – Deus Inversus (Odium Records)

Leave a comment

This is a bit older release, but no matter, never too late for good music, eh? Odium Records will be releasing this beauty on vinyl and digipack cd soon, so what better time to have a listen. This is a seven song split release of two black metal bands, namely Black Altar from Poland and Kirkebrann from Norway.

Polish black metal veterans Black Altar, led by founder Shadow offer two songs and an instrumental outro, more dark ambient styled short outro. For the recording of this material by Black Altar, there were some really prominent guests like Mauser(ex Vader), Lars Broddesson (Funeral Mist, ex Marduk) and Alexandros(Macabre Omen). The songs by Black Altar on this record are fast, brutal and full of blast beats, more nineties style of old school black metal and I love the atmosphere of aggression and melancholy they create with awesome melodies provided between carefully constructed merciless onslaught.

Kirkebrann are hailing from Norway and they represent a newer tide of black metal bands from that country, who still hold the black flame of true Norwegian black metal band burning proudly, with bands like 1349, Tsjuder, Urgehal coming to mind while listening to the music of Kirkebrann, but besides that, they still sound a lot like that old first wave of Norse black metal, from the legendary early first half of the nineties. Their for songs on this record are a lesson in raw, yet at times melodic black metal sung in Norwegian language. This is a great split record. Odium Records do such a fine job with all their roster and released opuses.

https://odiumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/black-altar-kirkebrann-deus-inversus