Cryfemal - 2007 - Apoteosis Oculta

Out of Spain comes this one man Black Metal band. We are presented with eight tracks of mid-paced
to fast Black Metal with a touch of the depressive.

The vocals really remind me a lot of those by Marco Kehren of Deinonychus, a rather desperate
sounding, screaming vocal style. All the lyrics are in Spanish, which is an approach I find interesting.

There is a seriously good groove to the music, which at times reminds me of early Ancient with
similarities in song structure with Burzum. The sound here also reminds me a bit of Isvind. Not a
bad bunch to be compared with. What makes it even more interesting is that this in fact has a quite
unique sound.

The soundquality is rather good here. There is of course that somewhat filthy and slightly murky sound I expect from most bands that are from southern Europe, but that just adds an edge to it. The drums and vocals are what are at the front of the mix here, closely followed by the guitar. The only instrument I can't really hear that clearly in the mix is the bass. The sound of the recording is quite sharp and clear.

The only thing I would complain about is the sound of the cymbals which I find to be a bit too tinny and unorganic at times.

Standout tracks are "El Tornado de Cesar el Ahorcado" and "Apocalipsis".

Sunday May 31 2009, by :Vragh:

Bloodoline - 2005 - Storm and Brilliance

Out of Spain comes this Black Metal band with their first album. The material on this recording has been waiting for a few years to be recorded, and judging from the songs here, this was not at all a bad thing. This is an album that is very well executed, and it seems the arrangements are well thought through. We are presented with thirteen tracks on this album, with six instrumental interludes
and an outro. Musically this reminds me of a lot of things. I find both La Masquerade era Arcturus and some 1349 here, but mostly I think this sounds like early Borknagar with a twist of Zyklon-B, the Norwegian allstar band. This recording sounds very Scandinavian. Really good.

The vocals sound like a mix of Chuck Schuldiner of Death and Garm of Borknagar, being somewhat similar to those by Garm on their first album, but a bit more growled and sounding quite desperate at times. The instrumental interludes sound like a mix of earlier Mortiis and the instrumental Borknagar tracks that usually are present on their albums.

The soundquality is quite good, you hear all the instruments and the vocals clearly. The vocals are slightly in the front of the mix, being the driving force with the guitars. Be sure to check this album out! To be released by Blackend Records in March 2005, so it should be available to order from your local store or distro.

Standout tracks are "Warlike Spirit", "Aeons End" and "Nihil Storm".

Monday March 7 2005, by :Vragh:

Akerbeltz - 2001 - Tabellae Defixionum

This is the second album by Spanish one-man Black Metal band Akerbeltz. Musically this is a bit more matured than the first effort, and the soundquality has been improved as well, which strangely has given the music a much more chaotic feel. Both the drums and some of the guitarwork on this album sound quite chaotic, despite the improved soundquality. The drums tend to be a bit blurred somehow, in the mix, which basically is the only thing to complain about here.

Musically this reminds me mostly of Immortal with some classic Metal riffing in it, and the track "The Green Eyes" could actually have been taken from any one of the earlier Immortal albums. The
vocals are also similar to those of Abbath in the early Immortal days. Though it sounds like Immortal at times, the music is not a copy of said band, and Akerbeltz has more than enough of his own twists in the music to make it well worthwile to buy this.

There is a strong northern feel to this album, and listening to it makes me think of the mid '90ies and the days of the old Black Metal scene. Don't wait too long to buy this, the album is limited to 900 copies. Akerbeltz also plays in Argar.

Standout tracks are "The Guardian Tightly Rooted", "The Forest is My Haunt" and "The Green Eyes".

Tuesday November 2 2004, by :Vragh: