Tag Archives: symphonic black metal

Reviews

(review) …And Oceans – ‘As in Gardens, So in Tombs’ (Season of Mist)

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Finland’s …And Oceans have a new full length opus out with Season of Mist. I was so glad when they released their new come back opus called ‘Cosmic World Mother’ back in 2020. Although there were some line-up changes through the years, this didn’t stop …And Oceans. They were very interesting band to me back in the day because they mixed industrial with symphonic black metal and it worked excellently. Then they changed name, line-up but they returned and new vocalist Mathias Lillmåns, known also as singer for Finntroll delivered new power with his strong voice capable of black metal screaming, angry growling to some spoken word and clean singing. This new batch of songs are concentrated more on melodic and symphonic black metal, not unlike Old Man’s Child in some segments of the songwriting or maybe even Dimmu back in their early and best days. Lyrics deal with more deep introspective and philosophical side of darkness in man and universe. This also means strong synth melodies and symphonic arrangements, guitar work which connects old school aggressive black metal riffing with melodies and melancholic hooks only Finnish bands are capable of making. Add to this phenomenal drumming from blasts to changes of tempo to emphasize the strength of material. This is sympho black melodic par excellence. My personal favorites on this record are: ‘As in Gardens, So in Tombs’, ‘Within Fire and Crystal’ and epic ‘Ambivalent God’.

9,5/10

Reviews, Various

(review) Dawn of Ashes – Scars of the Broken

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I am so happy when I discover new bands that I like and learn to love their music, the same as I was back in the days of tape trading and waiting for weeks for your new music to arrive via snail mail and sometimes discovering your new favorites through such tapes. Now, it is easier, especially when you run a webzine for seventh year now, but the principle is still the same, scratch beneath the surface of underground and find what you like yourself and learn everyday new stuff in our beloved extreme music scene. So, I am so happy that I discovered LA´s Dawn of Ashes. But I am at the same time a little bit ashamed. Why? Because I found out late about them and they have been in the scene for more than twenty years now, delivering their punches and this is their ninth full length opus. This one contains 12 songs, some being intro and intermezzos between the maelstorm of Hellish sadomasochistic rites, darkened atmosphere, Satanic rituals, sex, death, life all of three being interlinked in one undividable whole of us as puny humans on this planet.

Dawn of Ashes play a mixture of industrial ebm metal, with symphonic black metal parts here and there, some gothic metal songwriting thrown in and whole lot of atmospheric darkness. I always respect and love the use of samples and Dawn of Ashes use samples so clever and so fantastic that it made goosebumps on my skin while listening to this opus. Electronic is great in adaptation with guitar parts, thundering drums, keyboards and superb vocals. The latter are special and it is so amazing to hear singer Kristof Bathory changing his voice from black metal croaking to screaming, back to gothic spoken word, some singing and altering back to industrial almost robotic voice. If I must compare this band to some it would be Kovenant from Norway in Animatronic period, but Dawn of Ashes sound richer and superb, also it would be a more upgraded black metal version of Combichrist. My personal favorites are Bane of Your Existence, Heart Beats Cold and Scars of the Broken. My recommendation for you, check this one out!

9/10

News, Various

Celebrating 20 years as a band, ATRIUM NOCTIS will release their 5th studio!

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Celebrating 20 years as a band, ATRIUM NOCTIS will release their 5th studio album on 2-22-22.
For the new, symbolically self-titled release “Atrium Noctis” the formation around Hydra Gorgonia went to the Gernhart Studio of Martin Buchwalter (Accu§er, Destruction, Perzonal War, Suidakra, Tankard) to let the best songs of already released CDs shine in new splendor.

There, the songs in question were completely re-recorded, mixed and mastered for the 60-minute long-player.

All the material has been rearranged on three guitars, which gives the overall picture on the one hand more melodic possibilities but at the same time more pressure on the part of the guitars.

TRACKLIST:
01. Snow On Thy Epitaph
02. Azazel
03. Ikarus
04. Home
05. Ancient Whispers
06. Die Nacht des Falken
07. Zerberons Erwachen
08. RIP III
09. Spuren eines Wolfes

LINE-UP:
Hein • Vocals
Uhtred • Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Rhadamanthys • Guitar
Sturm • Guitar
Hydra Gorgonia • Keys, Acoustic Guitar, Narrator
Several vocal tracks with screams, growls and classical vocals complete the picture coherently.
ATRIUM NOCTIS play timeless music rooted in symphonic DARK– and BLACK METAL.

Influences from classical music and carried elements from the Pagan Metal area adorn the new output with distinctive independence and special brilliance.

Massive darkness paired with a thick shot of hardness characterizes the new album.

Melancholic, sometimes hymnal and soulful passages are also part of it.
Epic and colorful nuances enrich the whole additionally fitting.
ATRIUM NOCTIS love big soundscapes and have largely broken away from the genre boundaries of Black Metal. 

From the old, already convincing songs ATRIUM NOCTIS have understood to create a new dimension, which skillfully balances between hardness and subtlety:
Hard and delicate mix to a unique symbiosis!

The band members have different musical backgrounds:
They include people who have played Metal all their lives, but bring a lot of joy to other musical genres, as well as a deep black soul from Black Metal, as well as a singer with classical training and two studied musicians who are musically open to everything.
So let yourself be seduced and convinced equally by the new sound experience of the Cologne!
Logo: Atrium Noctis