Туман - 2005 - Transylvanian Dreams

Out of Hungary comes this Black Metal horde with their first fullength. Fast and harsh Black Metal is what we are presented with, and this is actually really good. Musically this reminds me of the good old days in general. There is a slight melodic feel at times, but this soon changes back to breakneck speed. This album reminds me of Ulver's Nattens Madrigal in its uncompromising sound and execution.

The vocals sound like possessed and hatefilled shrieks. A comparison to Burzum is not entierly wrong, although this is raspier and not as annoying. Apparently the vocalist is a woman, which makes these sounds even more remarkable. What's really interesting is how the vocals are used as an instrument more than is common.

The production is sharp as a knife. You hear all the instruments, with focus on the vocals and the guitars. The drums follow, slightly further back in the mix. There is actually a slight De Mysteriis dom Sathanas sound to the drums here. The snare is clear and in the front, but the toms are a bit muffled. What makes this album a winner is the aggression, speed and hatred that is present, something that I haven't heard in quite a few years. This is absolutely a band to check out further, and keep an eye out for in the future.


Standout tracks are "Átoklátomás", "Vihar" and "Holdlény".

Saturday October 21 2006, by :Vragh:

Strevlosh Zvezda - 2005 - Strevlosh Zvezda

Out of Serbia comes this band with their very own brand of Black Metal. Haven't really heard that many hordes using classical guitar as the most prominent instrument in Black Metal, I must say. This is quite good, mostly slow but with faster parts from time to time. On this promo we are presented with four tracks, and the last one is a rehearsal version of track three, but the finished demo will contain six tracks, without the rehearsal. For the most part there's just the classical guitar and the vocals, and here and there the songs explode into faster parts with blasting drums. Some parts of this album reminds me musically of Empyrium's Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays and Ulver's Theme's from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, with the vocals reminding me mostly of the harsh vocals by Garm on the first Borknagar album.


The soundquality here is very good, the guitar and the vocals can be heard clearly, and the drums are just slightly towards the back of the mix, keeping the focus on the guitar and the vocals in the parts with drums. The rehearsal track gives an interesting insight into how the band sounds outside the studio. A very interesting listen, this demo. It is not often you are taken by total surprise when you put a demo in the player to review it. The only bad thing about this disc is that it is far too short. I want more of this. Most highly recommended!

Standout tracks are "Nocturnus..." and "Leve Ruke Staza".

Wednesday January 18 2006, by :Vragh:

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:

Mordgrim - 2004 - Pestens År

Swedish Black Metal outfit Mordgrim have unleashed their first four track demo upon the world.
The music presented on this demo is mostly midpaced, but here are also some faster parts. The music reminds me mostly of Thornium, but some Burzum and early Satyricon is also present in their music, mixed with some regular Metal parts here and there. The intro actually reminded me a bit of early Ulver.

The songs on this demo are rather repetitive, a good riff is used throughout the entire song, which I really like, not many bands of today does this with a good result. The vocals here sound similar to Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism era Immortal.

The soundquality on this demo is quite good, a clear sound with all the instruments audible.

They have since changed the name to Old Bones.

Standout tracks are "In i Det Dunkle Mørke" and "Blood of Satan"

Friday October 29 2004, by :Vragh:

Mord - 2004 - Morde

Out of Germany comes this Black Metal act, featuring members of Zorn in the ranks. Six scathing hymns of mid-paced to fast hatefilled Black Metal, mostly reminiscent of Blodulv, but also early Ulver, Ildjarn because of the often rather repetitive riffing, and Borknagar. The tracks are rather long, averaging 8 minutes.

The vocals are raw, somewhat in the vein of those by Grendel in Blodulv, those by Garm on the first Borknagar album, mainly because of the drawn out screams, and of Dead of Mayhem, sounding at times like those by Dead on the Live in Leipzig album. Sabnock also does the vocals in Zorn.

The soundquality on this recording is harsh, but not too unclear. This does remind me of Ildjarn as well, but the earlier days, when he had a bit clearer soundquality on his releases. The drums are a bit towards the back in the mix, along with the bass. This is filthy Black Metal, as it should be!

Standout tracks are "In the Forest of Dead Souls" and "Necrophage".

Monday November 27 2006, by :Vragh:

Lucifugum - 2006 - Involtation

Out of the Ukraine comes this productive Black Metal horde with their ninth album. This album took me by surprise, I must say. I have heard a few bands from the Ukraine, and most of them have had heavy keyboards on their recordings, so when I got this CD I was expecting just that. What greeted me was something quite different. The music is aggressive and slightly towards the melodic side of Black Metal with a few faster parts here and there, but mostly leaning towards the mid-paced. The guitars are the driving force in the music, which  is rather complex sounding, with the odd sample showing up here and there.

The music reminds me to a certain extent of a slower version of Nattens Madrigal era Ulver with a lot of Eastern European influences. Similarities to some of the old classic Czech bands like Master's Hammer and Törr can also be heard here. This album is not at all as chaotic as Nattens Madrigal, but has rather a sound of structure. Some small parts remind me of Immortal. There is something quite different in their sound, which makes them a bit hard to place.

The vocals have a to me distinct Eastern European feel to them, most likely due to the structure
of the language, and are rather guttural but harsh at the same time. There is a hint of Hoest of
Taake in them.

The soundquality again brings Ulver's Nattens Madrigal to mind strangely enough, since they are not
that similar. The soundquality is a lot clearer on this album, with a distinct sound of its own. The
production is very good, and the sound is clear, icy and sharp as a knife, with a slightly odd metallic
sound to it. You hear the guitars, which are somewhat fuzzy but still with this sharp edge to them, at the front of the mix, with the drums clearly audible, but towards the back, with the vocals inbetween.
There is the occasional keyboard, I must say I like it. I haven't really heard a nything quite like this band before. This is quite refreshing! CD limited to 1500 copies.

Standout tracks are "Яма Твоего Сна", "Оноравливание" and "Пределы Непостижимого".

Sunday October 12 2008, by :Vragh:

Lönndom - 2007 - Fälen från Norr

Out of Sweden comes Lönndom, the latest incarnation featuring the essence of what once was the mighty Armagedda and Lik. We get eight tracks contemplating nature and old folk tales of the north
and a journey through dark forests at night, with the intro and outro tracks tying the journey together nicely.

The vocals range from clean to spoken or whispered, with parts being growled, setting different moods throughout the journey.

Musically this is a mix of Isengard and Lik, with some parts of Armagedda's Ond Spiritism and some Swedish folk influences. Earlier Ulver comes to mind, mainly because of the concept. It is also something completely different and unique.

The soundquality of this recording is quite good. This music should not be presented with crisp, crystal clear sound, and they have avoided doing just that. This is rather presented with a slightly darker sound, yet everything can be heard clearly here. This is quite different in many ways, there are sounds of nature mixed in with the music, and the music has a distinct Black Metal sound, yet there are factors that are not. A very intriguing album. My biggest complaint is that the album feels too short. This is, however, a masterpiece.

Standout tracks are "Ripeluokte", "Himlalågor", "Stállo" and "På Fjället"

Sunday May 31 2009, by :Vragh:

Ljå - 2002 - Vedderbaug

This is the Norwegian Black Metal band Ljå's only demo so far, but it is indeed a promising piece. This was originally released under the band name Knøfflihei. Fierce Black Metal with acoustic parts is what they play, and it works very well. Musically it sounds similar to Ulver's Bergtatt, early Borknagar and early Marduk, the latter mostly due to the drumwork, with some folkmusic influences added just for the Hell of it. The vocals sound like those on the first Borknagar album. Not at all a bad mix.

They have managed to get a good production on this demo, it reeks of dirty, old-school Black Metal, and it fits the music just right. These guys handle their instruments very well, all of them have been in other bands since the early '90ies. I suggest you do yourself the favour of getting this demo.

They are going to record a fullength album during 2004, and they released a split 7" with Koldbrann on Aftermath Music in April, with a track from the demo. This demo was rereleased on CD in 2008 with four extra demo tracks.

Standout tracks are "Skamslaadte Engler", "Vind", "Udenomskjaersk Faen" and "Victorinox".

Monday May 24 2004, by :Vragh:

Isvind - 1994 - Isvind 7"

IThis is Norwegian Black Metal horde Isvind's first official release. Probably their strongest effort as well, with really great material. Presented on this 7" are three tracks, two of which are Black Metal
and one is a folk track. Isvind play harsh, mid-paced to fast and slightly melodic Black Metal in the vein of Darkthrone and Burzum, soundwise, also reminding me of Ulver at times, with vocals reminiscent of very early Emperor and Nattens Madrigal era Ulver. The music is actually very catchy, but without being silly.

The production is quite cold which gives a nice extra touch to the music. What's very refreshing is that Isvind actually has a very unique sound, a special atmosphere somehow, and all of the tracks here are really good. The folk track is the only one like it in their repertoire, but you do notice some folk music influences in the other tracks as well.

This is one of the classic releases in the scene, and not without reason, so be sure to try to get hold of this one. It is limited to 1000 copies, so it might be a bit hard to find, but it is well worth the effort.

Wednesday November 3 2004, by :Vragh:

Golgatha - 2004 - Ewiger Hass

This German Black Metal horde just recently released this their first demo containing five tracks, including an intro. Midpaced to fast Black Metal, more towards the slightly melodic kind, with guitar harmonies is what we are presented with here. I find some Nattens Madrigal era Ulver in the track "Gedanken", but otherwise this reminds me a lot of mid '90ies melodic Black Metal. Some newer musical elements are present here as well. I find some slight references to Nephenzy here, too.

The vocals can best be described as sounding like sore screams. They remind me of those by Dis in Nebular Mystic. I really like them.

The soundquality on this recording is quite good. You can clearly hear the instruments and the vocals in the mix. If slightly melodic Black Metal is your thing I suggest you check them out. This demo is limited to 333 copies, so don't wait too long.

Standout tracks are "Ewiger Hass" and "Einsamkeit".

Monday March 7 2005, by :Vragh:

Frozen Shadows - 1999 - Dans les Bras des Immortels

Here we have the first album by Canadian Black Metallers Frozen Shadows, an album well worth to check out. Aggressive northern style Black Metal with keyboards that are not used excessively. I find traces of earlier Emperor, Marduk and Ulver as well as Gorgoroth here, but this album actually reminds me mostly of Enslaved's second album Frost, and the vocals are very similar to Grutle's Black Metal vocals on that album.

The music is mostly fast, with the occasional midpaced parts. The soundquality on this album is also very similar to that on Frost. You can clearly hear the drums and the vocals, the bass is a bit muffled and the guitars are slightly in the back of the mix. Some longer tracks are on this album, clocking in at around 8-9 minutes each. These Canadians have actually managed to catch some of the Northern spirit that usually just is not present on so many albums.

Be sure to also check out their recently released second album, Hantises.

Standout tracks are "Dans les Bras Des Immortels", "Au Seuil des Tenebres" and "Lunes Funebres".

Tuesday June 22 2004, by :Vragh:

Dawn of Division - 2005 - Awaiting the Dawn

Out of Greece comes this one man Black Metal band with a second demo. Slightly atmospheric and melancholic, mid-paced Black Metal with keyboards is what we get here. This demo seems to be rather well thought through with interludes linking the tracks and setting the mood for the next track. Of the five tracks on this demo there are only two "real" tracks, the others being intro, interlude and outro. These three very well played Metal / Classical compositions remind me a lot of the Neo-Classical / Soundtrack project L'Orchestre Noir.

The two remaining tracks are well rooted in Black Metal, having a slight touch of regular Metal to them, with parts somewhat reminiscent of Ulver's more acoustic explorations. There is quite a bit of Burzum and Transilvanian Hunger-era Darkthrone here, with the music being somewhat repetitive, and I even find some traces of latter day My Dying Bride.

The vocals sound like a mix of Nocturno Culto, Legion and the vocals of Frediablo and Condatis
Svarthjerte in Svartpest.

The production is really good on this release, it has a dark atmosphere to it, and the drum machine
is not at all annoying. Definitely a band to keep an eye on, I would say.

Standout track is "Bride of Winter".

Wednesday July 27 2005, by :Vragh:

Bilocate - 2005 - Dysphoria

Out of Jordan comes this Progressive Death/Doom Metal band. The music is towards the slightly melodic, with some heavier parts. Some traces of My Dying Bride can be found here, but this is more
melodic than that. This is actually musically rather towards Arcturus later works and Green Carnation. I also hear some early Ulver in the clean sung passages here, reminiscent of their Bergtatt and Kveldssanger albums, which is most refreshing.

The vocals are towards the My Dying Bride kind, with a lot of spoken passages. The clean sung or spoken passages remind me of both Dissolving of Prodigy and Ulver.

The soundquality is very good, and all the instruments can be heard clearly in the mix. These guys know how to handle their instruments, for sure, and although I usually don't listen to this slower kind of Metal a lot these days, this was actually really refreshing to hear. The production is perhaps a bit
thin, a lot of treble in it, but overall this is not at all a bad record. Actually, the more I hear of this album the more I like it. Half of the tracks on this album are rather long, with the last track, "A Desire to Leave", being just over 19 minutes long.

Standout tracks are "A Deadly Path", "The Tragedy Within" and "Shrouded". Highly recommended!

Saturday October 21 2006, by :Vragh:

Bak de Syv Fjell - 1997 - Bak de Syv Fjell 7"

This Norwegian band only released this 7" before calling it quits, which is sad. I would have loved to hear more from these guys. Presented here are two tracks of melancholic progressive Folk/Black Metal. The vocals are clear and a bit operatic, at times reminding me of the vocals on "I Troldskog Faren Vild" off of Ulver's Bergtatt, with some female vocals here and there, which works very well.
The music is slow to midpaced, the production is a bit murky, but not at all bad.

In their music I find some parts early Ulver, although not as harsh, and also some minor parts Storm.

This 7" was released in a limited edition of 1000 copies, but the band is relatively unknown, so you might actually come across a copy. It was rereleased on CD, but the vinyl sounds a lot better.

One of the members later went on to join Hades Almighty.

The better of the two tracks is the second one, "De Siste Tanker", a really haunting track.

Wednesday June 2 2004, by :Vragh:

Ambiguitas - 2003 - Time of Goat

Out of Russia comes this Black Metal horde, delivering 9 tracks of Black Metal ranging from slow
to mid-paced to fast, plus an intro. The music here reminds me quite a lot of earlier Beherit and
Stiny Plamenu, with some Skaur and Ulver sounding acoustic parts and a good dose classic heavy
metal here and there, with that special eastern European sound to it. This sounds quite refreshing.

The vocals sound like a mix of Under a Funeral Moon era Nocturno Culto and Satyr around the
Megiddo MCD. They also remind me of the vocals by Lord Therramon of Dom Dracul.

As mentioned earlier, a drum machine is utilized, but not in a too annoying way. The production is actually quite good, and all the instruments can be heard clearly. The guitar sound is a bit different, quite metallic, with a sharp and icy edge to it. The production reminds me mostly of that found on later Striborg releases. This is a fullength released as a CD-r in limited quantities, so act fast.

Standout tracks are "Through the Decrepit Eaves", "Do Arise the Blood from the Ice", "Just Hate" and the eleven minute final track "Equinox Autumn".

Thursday November 15 2007, by :Vragh: