Još jedan bend s moćne talijanske underground scene je pred nama. Afraid of Destiny su iz Trevisa i ovo je njihov novi album koji je izašao uz pomoć Talheim Records. Na albumu čiji naziv znači protiv svih, se nalaze sedam pjesama, od kojih su neke stvarno malo poduže, ali to u ovom žanru koji sviraju nije problem. Afraid of Destiny sviraju miks melodičnog, atmosferičnog black metala s onim što zovu depressive black metal. No, ovdje nije riječ o nekom trećerazrednom Burzum klonu, već o odličnom melodic black metal bendu koji je do nedavno bio one man project čovjeka zvanog Adimere. No, koliko se vidi iz podataka sada su punokrvni bend. Obožavam kako je ovaj album napisan. Daje točno prekrasnu kombinaciju brzih i očajničkih žestokih blast beatova i sporijih doom pasaža, kao i ambijentalnih klavijaturnih dijelova spojenih sa odlično napisanim gitarama i vokalima koji variraju od izmučenih blackerskih screamova do šaptanja preko govora i clean vokala. Teme kao što su ‘Anti’, ‘Lullaby’ i ‘Breath’ će vas sigurno oduševiti ako volite ovakvu glazbu i shvatiti da je black metal jedan od najboljih žanrova za izražavanje osjećaja i agresije.
Underground never ceases to amaze and give you something special and unique to listen and to satisfy your black heart with. CRAWL is a one man entity with one Michael A. Engle simultaneously playing drums, bass, vocals, synth and samples all at once. If CRAWL performs live that is surely unique and special sight and soundscape to behold and hear. This one contains only four songs with shortest being a little under seven minutes and longest being a little under eleven minutes. But, do not despair. Hark, CRAWL has so much to offer. This is darkness pure, so thick and when listening to this one, you feel like standing in front of a black wall with no possibility to cross it only to wither and die, but also it provides darkness so touchable that you can almost feel the wall of fear and despair with the tips of your fingers. CRAWL plays something in between blackened dungeon doom with tortured vocals screams, some whispers and speak like in horror movies, many samples, distorted bass, slow and funeral drum procession melancholy emphasized with piano and synth parts and some almost ritualistic slowing down, like you can virtually feel your heart beat slowing down and some song parts for me symbolize withering and dying, hopelessness and darkness, with no end in sight only despair and anguish, also with aggression as a result of realizing above mentioned. You must listen to this one as a whole process, it is excellent.
Happy Days from USA released their first full length in last five years. Why, maybe you wonder? Why so long? Well, this opus will give you an answer. There is an eerie intro plus ten songs of explanation on this opus. For those who don’t know, Happy Days play depressive black metal, raw and atmospheric with all the conviction of an occupant of psychiatric institution and between four walls different ideas occur, maybe only to me, but I am sure that also to A.Morbid who wrote his most deep and personal opus with this one. My metal brother in my hometown once told me that depressive black metal is non existent because it destroys the meaning of bm, being aggressive and yet atmospheric music and that all dsbm bands are in fact Burzum clones turning one or two riffs all along. This band and album is something I will play to my brother to prove that his statement is not true. Just listen to slow, doomy rolls of ‘J’y étais’ with almost post black metal guitar work, fantastic anguished screaming and female spoken vocals topped with choirs, making it a fantastic opus. ‘Hollow’ is another absolute highlight, I am amazed how Happy Days manage to connect black metal with gentle piano and synth melodies, almost ethereal clean vocals turning into anguished tortured screams, superb female vocals and great songwriting like a whirlwind of emotions. Songs like ‘Mors Vincit Omnia’ and ironic ‘Life Goes On…’ show all the heartbreak, emptiness, bare blooded flesh of emotions without skin or mask. This is a tour de force of emotional black metal.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 