Skaur - 2005 - En Hymne til Dauden

Out of Norway comes this one man Black Metal band with a rerecording of a previous demo bearing the same name. This version has been rearranged to bring together the 4 tracks on the previous release into one long track, which works very well. The music is mid-paced to fast, slightly melodic,
rather epic and very aggressive Black Metal, with quite a few acoustic parts. Earlier Ulver comes to mind, as well as Kampfar and Gorgoroth, but with a big chunk of originality, which is not something you find every day in the Black Metal scene of today.

The vocals mostly remind me of the distorted snarls by Gaahl on the Destroyer album by Gorgoroth, though more raspy than guttural.

The soundquality of the recording is well above the regular demo sound, rather clear and yet comfortingly filthy. The different instruments can be heard in the mix, though the vocals and the guitar are slightly in the front of the mix. The production reminds me of Gorgoroth's earlier efforts, though this has a superior sound. This comes very highly recommended! The original demo is sold out, but this track is also available on the split with Riddle of Meander. I strongly urge you to check
 this out.

Thursday November 15 2007, by :Vragh:

Decrepit Cauldron - 2005 - Wirkligkeit Altera Pars

Out of the Ukraine comes this Black Metal outfit with their 5 track debut. Presented on this album
are 4 long tracks of mid-paced to fast, slightly melodic technical Black Metal with an epic feel. Apart from the intro, all of the tracks are over 10 minutes long.

Musically this reminds me of a lot of different bands. Stiny Plamenu, Kampfar, Sorhin and Ophthalamia are some of the bands I hear in the mix here, as well as some Metallica-sounding
parts plus influences from both Death Metal and Thrash. I heard quite a few later Ophthalamia parts, which was somewhat unexpected. There is at times a rather Eastern European feel to the music as well, but it is surprisingly absent most of the time.

The vocals remind me somewhat of those by Kampfar, though more muffled and distant, as well as those in early Fleurety.

The soundquality is not at all bad. At the front of the mix there is the drum machine and the keyboard, followed by the guitar and then the vocals further back. The drummachine does get a bit annoying at times, I must say, though I am not fond of the sound of one, so I might be extra sensitive to this. However, this is a rather interesting and quite unpredictable album to listen to, which is most refreshing.

Standout tracks are "Prae Porta Ad Noctum", "Incarnation for the Blackest" and "Opus Aexestentialis". If you like your music varied and quite unpredictable I suggest you check this out.

Sunday October 12 2008, by :Vragh:

Acrimonious - 2005 - Perdition Gospel

Out of Greece comes Acrimonious with their second demo. Presented on this tape are 4 tracks of mid-paced to fast Black Metal, with a slightly melodic touch. This reminds me somewhat of earlier Deathspell Omega as well as some Kampfar for some reason, with a twist of earlier Morbid
Angel. Quite an odd mix.

The vocals sound a bit like the vocals from the first Ancient album, but mostly they remind me of those in Dom Dracul, but with more distortion to them.

The production is good. You hear all the instruments clearly, and even the bass is allowed some room here, which is rather unusual in Black Metal I think. There is a distinct demo sound to this recording, but not in a bad way.

Over all a quite enjoyable release, although I do prefer the Broken Bonds of Balance 7" they released this year, which shows a clear progression from this release.

Standout tracks are "Goatrapture" and "On Serpent Wings".

Monday November 27 2006, by :Vragh: