Ahamkara are from the UK and play Atmospheric Black Metal. This is their début album.
This is Black Metal with epic length songs and a windswept feel.
This is the kind of album that’s the soundtrack to exploration. It’s the Blackened equivalent of a map of uncharted territories and frost-worn mountains.
The Embers of the Stars is bitingly cold and achingly sensual in equal amounts. These songs are emotive and expressive, infused with the raw energy of nature and the passion that goes along with this.
Heartfelt guitars and subtle synths provide the rasping vocals with a rich background on which to scream out into the heavens.
This sweeping music is perfect for Black Metal that’s inspired by nature and seeks to channel it via a darkened Metal route. Each of these songs is extremely well composed and gives the feeling of really being in the raw, dangerous outdoors.
This is the kind of epic, atmospheric music that has been characterised well by the Cascadian scene, even though this is from the UK. Fans of Wolves in the Throne Room, Altar of Plagues, Agalloch, Fen, Skagos, Fauna, Wodensthrone, (who share a member), etc., will be very at home with Ahamkara. However, whereas a lot of these bands have Post-Metal qualities to their sound, Ahamkara substitute these for shades of the mighty Emperor and thus are more “pure” Black Metal than not.
Really top quality work like this should always be supported. Listen and become enthralled.
Grimoire are from Canada and this EP is their second release. They play Black Metal.
Grimoire have an epic sound that consists of melodic grandeur, atmospheric keyboard highlights and frostbitten blasting.
This EP contains 4 songs totalling just under 25 minutes; 3 actual songs and an instrumental/ambient piece. It’s well-recorded and sounds like a labour of love for the band.
Vocals are primarily the standard rasps, performed well. Other styles occasionally appear for added variety.
Affecting leads and emotive riffs are the bedrock of Grimoire’s foundation and there’s a streak of Depressive/Funereal Black Metal in their sound due to this.
L’Aorasie des Spectres Rêveurs is full of celestial textures and enchanting melodies. This is haunting, powerfully atmospheric music when the band want it to be. And when they don’t? That’s when the icy blast beats and more aggressive guitars make appearances.
The songs here have an obscure, otherworldly quality to them, in keeping with the EP cover. Barren and cold yet magical and enthralling; the land of Grimoire is for hardy adventurers only.
My favourite parts are when the band slow down and the full grandeur of what they are capable of is unleashed like some grand and terrible funeral march, such as near the middle of Les Rumeurs des Astres.
They start this split off with just under 7 minutes of Crust-fuelled terror the likes of which will have most people running for the hills. It’s underground, brutal and terrifying.
The vocals are savagery incarnate and come off completely unhinged; serrated growls that don’t sound even vaguely human. Crikey. Sharp high vocals occasionally cut through the meat of their sound too but it’s the deep vocals that do it for me.
The songs are very energetic and I like how it’s not all blasting; the band pace themselves well and give a very aggressive display without resorting to Grind-by-numbers.
These short songs hit the spot and the Blackened Crust influence in the riff department is a welcome change from the Grindcore norm.
A very enjoyable few minutes of ultra-violence from Stheno.
Grassroll are also from Greece and play Grindcore with a dash of Sludge. They contribute just over 6 minutes of fast, insectile Grind to the split.
The singer has a voice that’s so high and maniacal as to sound scarily barbed. Her vocals scar, maim and lacerate. Deep growls occasionally punctuate the tracks but for the most part it’s static-like screams, reminiscent of Discordance Axis. Overall it’s the opposite of Stheno really, who mainly use the deeper vocals.
There’s a slight Sludge hint to their sound in some of their riffs; enough to perk the interest but not enough to detract from the pure demented aggression of these songs.
Grassroll like to play fast and hard, and who can blame them?
Short and to the point, this is a worthy split between these two bands. Both contributions are different enough that the songs on this split are obviously by distinct bands yet their shared base genre allows them to complement each other well.
Extinctionist have a good line in groove, chug, technical flourishes and pure demolition-style blast beats. It’s enough to keep any Death Metal fan sated and full.
The recording is clear and strong, with everything sounding crisp and tight. The sci-fi theme does them no harm either, and interludes like Selection sound genuinely malevolent.
Deep, guttural vocals ride alongside the heavy music. The growls are just a shade or two above pignoise, (mainly), and the singer sounds totally committed to the cause.
The songs are largely short and to the point; this is about battering down all defences and causing as much destruction as possible in as short a timescale a possible. The band make good on this threat too.
This is enjoyable Brutal Death Metal that will groove, chug and blast its way into your collection.
Chalice of Blood are from Sweden and this is their latest EP. They play Black Metal.
This is sleek, occult Black Metal that’s sharp and vibrant. It’s Orthodox Black Metal played well and with a great production that fits the band like a warm death.
Chalice of Blood’s songs are covered in Blackened melodies and violent darkness. The tracks are largely fast and have strong guitars which hack out subtle melodies from the ice and sharpen them to killing implements.
The singer has a good Black Metal croak that sounds sufficiently evil and inhuman. The music complements this by sounding cold and unnatural but very professional at the same time. Chalice of Blood have a polished sheen to them which manages to enhance rather than detract from their malevolent nature.
The riffs sting like razorblades and the drums lacerate at 100 paces. As I sit here absorbing this music I can feel it getting under my skin, going direct through the layers of flesh to get at my lifesblood. I don’t try to stop it, that would be folly. Chalice of Blood have produced music that’s worthy of devotion.
Doomlord are from Puerto Rico and play Doom Metal. This is their début album.
After enjoying their first release – Almas Malditas – I was eager to check out Black Testament to see if the band had made good on the promise displayed in that first split. The answer is yes.
Doomlord specialise in Classic Doom Metal inspired by the likes of Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, etc. The personality of the singer and the added organs also speak of a Jon Oliva influence, which adds another level to the band.
The singer has a great set of lungs and the elements of Jon Oliva’s style add a layer of theatricality to the band that is more pronounced on this album than it was on Almas Malditas.
The band have an array of good riffs and the solos are very enjoyable. It’s the whole package here though, as everything works together to create impressive songs that are catchy and full of hooks.
Each of these tracks is a very enjoyable demonstration of just how good Doom Metal can be.
The songs are aided by a strong sound that allows the band the space to show off their skills. It’s a lengthy album at 68 minutes, but it manages to hold interest throughout.
Desolate Shrine are a Death Metal band from Finland. This is their third album.
This is not your standard Death Metal. Oh, all of the features and identifying marks of the genre are present and correct, but this is a more mature, expanded beast than the average.
Desolate Shrine specialise in dark, malevolent Death Metal that’s epic in scope. This is over an hour in length, with some tracks having well over ten minutes duration.
The band complement their Death Metal core with a few Black/Doom influences and overall The Heart of the Netherworld boasts evil atmospheres and gloomy auras.
The songs have a lot of meat to them and there is plenty of variety and interest to be had here. Slower, atmospheric parts, brutal riffs, lighter mood-building sections, rhythmic destruction; Desolate Shrine have it all.
Deep growls are accentuated with the occasional scream. The singer has a powerful voice that lends the songs an inhuman component and brings out their otherworldly side even more than the music already does.
The sound of the album matches the content; it’s strong and clear enough to do the band justice but murky and grim enough to bring out the sense of ritualistic nightmare that the band create.
Three albums into their career and Desolate Shrine have clearly mastered the art of writing involved songs that are wrapped in darkness. Think of a band like Ævangelist only with less of a pure-horror Black Metal viewpoint and more of a powerful Death Metal one.
This is a top quality album of horror Metal if ever there was one. Check out Desolate Shrine today and try not to soil yourself.
Ctulu are re-releasing their 2011 album Sarkomand, and what an album it is. Arne Uekert and Mathias Junge answered some questions and filled in the blanks…
For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!
Arne: I am Arne Uekert, guitarist and vocalist in Ctulu.
Give us a bit of history to Ctulu
Arne: Ctulu was founded in 2004 in Northern Germany with the aim to create fast and dark, yet melodic extreme metal.
What are your influences?
Arne: I’d let the listener decide on this point.
Mathias: Most people would say, it’s black/death metal in old Swedish style of the 90s like Dissection or Naglfar, but during the time of making music we created our own style called ”Seastorming Extreme Metal”.
What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?
Arne: I am listening a lot to Totenmond – Tonbergurtod at the moment. You may miss the point of the lyrics when you’re not speaking German, but the music is one of the heaviest and most evil I’ve ever heard.
Mathias: At the moment, there’s is nothing I would like to recommend.
Sarkomand is a few years old now but is being reissued for your 10 year anniversary – tell us about this.
Arne: The CD version is practically sold out and we always wanted to go vinyl. It was just a logical consequence.
Mathias: ”Sarkomand” is predestinated for this cause. A 45 minute manifest of pure violence and horror in the vein of H.P. Lovecraft! Who knows his stories will like this release. The album was loved by the fans right after release and is sold out for a while! Now it’s back on 12” vinyl and a must have for every Extreme Metal lover.
Since the album was originally released, how do you feel about it now – is there anything you would change or do differently?
Arne: Most unexpectedly I’d say that I wouldn’t. Actually this desire is normal, but I think this album works perfectly this way. The length is good, there are no fillers and I think each track stands out on its own. For me, this is still our best album.
Mathias: No, there is nothing I would change, for me it has everything what a good Extreme Metal album needs.
What’s your favourite song on the album and why?
Arne: Mondsucht, definitely. I think it’s a good track to end an album with and I like the atmosphere it creates a lot.
Mathias: Good question…it’s hard to say…if I have to choose I would say Blindes Chaos, because in this song all the components of Ctulu‘s Extreme Metal are combined.
How do you feel you fit into the wider Black Metal scene, and do you feel differently about this now than when Sarkomand originally came out?
Arne: For us, Sarkomand was the ultimate evidence that we’re actually NO black metal outfit. Some reviews even counted this album as death metal. Freie Geister (our début album) earned a lot of harsh criticism because it is so very “unblack”. We wanted to make a statement with Sarkomand. This is extreme metal, this goes beyond death/black/dark metal or whatever.
Mathias: Well, we actually never associated ourselves with the Black Metal scene, because from the beginning till now, we never got religious (Satanic) influences in our lyrics or use any symbols of that on stage or in our artworks. We got nothing to do with any religions, that‘s why we call our music ”Extreme Metal” and when Sarkomand came out in 2011, it wasn’t different.
What can you tell us about the lyrics? Would you change them now?
Arne: Sarkomand is kind of a concept album about the Dreamland cycle by H.P. Lovecraft. Reading the “Dreamquest of unknown Kadath” will help you a lot diving deeper beyond the surface of the lyrics on this album.
Mathias: The lyrics are about nightmares and other Lovecratian themes. If we would change something, we wouldn’t be Ctulu anymore.
Give us a bit of information on the songwriting process.
Arne: The songwriting was done by our lead guitarist Mathias Junge and our former drummer Jan Westermann (now active in the Greek outfits Released Anger and Diablery). I just added some second guitar tracks here and there. The lyrics were written by Mathias and me. About the songwriting itself, there’s actually nothing all too special to say. The tracks evolved very naturally and were finished very fast.
Mathias: The songwriting process is split between Arne and me. If we have new material, we work it out together with both guitars and then all the other instruments will follow.
How do you see your songs/direction developing in the future?
Arne: We’ve started to work with tracks written by both Mathias and myself now. We work longer on the single tracks now and we’ve found a better way to record demos, so the songwriting has changed a lot since Sarkomand. I think this will help the music get to the point faster now than it did three years ago.
Mathias: I don’t want to make any predictions, we will see what happen in future!
What’s next for Ctulu?
Arne: We’re working intensely on our forthcoming album that we hope to record at the end of this year.
Mathias: We working on a new album and the first live shows for 2015 are confirmed!
Trinity Road by All Seeing Eyes is one of my favourite releases of 2104 and is a real treasure trove of delights for any Metal fan. Singer/guitarist Ben Colton, (also of Neverworld), was kind enough to give us a bit more background to this exceptional group.
What are your influences?
All our influences are quite different I’d say within ASE. Mainly within the metal genres but personally I just love great, well written, well played music. I have a huge CD collection and I think it’s probably fair to say all of it has influenced me in some way or another. I tend to lean towards music’s unsung heroes. I really admire bands like Fates Warning and Winger. Both genius, both criminally underrated. Both have never really repeated themselves but somehow they have retained their own sound. That is something that’s really hard to do. I’m big on a lot of bands though. Stuff like Van Halen, King Diamond, Crimson Glory, Redemption, Circus Maximus, Dan Reed Network, Thin Lizzy, Ratt, Guns N Roses, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Helloween, Manowar, etc. It’s pretty much an endless list. I’m also very influenced by the music of the director John Carpenter. He’s a very clever guy musically. I love music that can tell a story or just surround you in an atmosphere. John’s music definitely does that. Very simple stuff on the surface but it’s captivating, eerie and just plain awesome!
What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?
Well there’s several great bands out there that definitely aren’t getting the attention they deserve. I just mentioned Circus Maximus and Redemption. Two absolutely amazing prog bands. Every bit as good as Dream Theater in terms of musicianship and quite frankly much better song writers in my opinion. Never self indulgent. It’s all about the story, the music, the song. All Prog fans should be listening to them. As for good old heavy metal, there’s 3 bands that spring to mind. Wardrum, Hibria and Neuronspoiler. Mind blowing musicians. Stellar vocals. Great songs. What more can anyone ask for?! If you haven’t heard of them before go and check them out. You won’t be disappointed.
What’s the meaning/concept behind the album title?
Initially ‘Trinity Road’ came about as a private joke really. No one else will find it funny so I’ll spare you the finer details! We just used to go to a shop a lot when we were kids and the road opposite is Trinity Road. The title comes from that but we sat around one night and just thought of this concept of a road splitting off into 3 destinations, 3 different outcomes if you will. It’s like you’re at a crossroads and the future is down to you. You have the power. Make the right choice. We just sorta came up with the theme for the art work in our heads and just thought yes! That’s it!
Talk to us about the album artwork.
Basically the picture depicts the present and the future on the horizon. The road to the left leads to darkness. Apocalyptic, bleak. Like a nuclear wasteland. Straight ahead leads to an endless life of monotony. Watching TV, going to work, not thinking much. To the right leads to enlightenment. A bright future. Happiness and fulfilment. We really liked the premise behind it and thought it would make for a great cover. I think we were right. John Vincent took our idea and made it happen brilliantly. He’s a very talented artist and went above and beyond on the art for us. We are all very happy with the outcome
What did you want to achieve with Trinity Road?
Pretty much as much as possible. I’m a realist, I wasn’t expecting anything really but the reaction has genuinely blown me away. From the media and the fans, it’s just been so positive and already made the project worthwhile. Ideally I’d like to reach a much wider audience but that is hard. I understand why. It’s an over saturated market and people don’t often like going out of their comfort zone, especially with music. I’m fairly confident that most metal/rock fans would get something out of the album but it’s hard getting people to listen. We’ll keep trying, reaching out and hoping people bite. I mean we aren’t greedy, the album is available for a great price and there’s a couple of reasons behind that. One is we don’t want to rip anyone off and secondly we want to sell as many as possible! We hope the price tag serves as an incentive for people because at the end of the day you won’t find a double disc extravaganza like Trinity Road anywhere else. It’s 1 hour and 48 minutes in length, it’s completely different and it’s waiting to be discovered
Are you happy with how it turned out?
Musically yes I consider it my finest hour to date. We worked really hard on this. We wanted to make an album with great depth and that didn’t repeat itself. I think we’ve achieved that. As a musician I pushed myself like I’ve never done before. Both vocally and guitar wise. I don’t think I could have done it better than I did and the same goes for Kenny and James. We wrote and performed to the absolute limit of our abilities. The challenge is to better that in the future!
What can you tell us about the lyrics?
I guess you could say they cover various themes from love and life right through to government manipulation and the NWO. We like our music to have a message or tell a story. There’s a couple of deeply personal songs on there about stuff that has affected me in a big way. I’m quite happy with how it turned out lyrically because I’m not a big fan of writing them! I often dread that part of the writing. Sometimes it comes easy but most of the time I end up sitting there for bloody hours listening to the same songs/riffs over and over! Anyway quite a few people have said the lyrics really get to them, make them think. That’s great. Couldn’t ask for more than that
Give us a bit of information on the songwriting process.
Well the three of us had worked together previously about 8 years before in a power metal band called Sentinel. We know each other well. I think we just hit a creative boom (hence why there is 18 tracks on the disc!) and the writing process just came really easy in terms of ideas. It was a cool environment to write in. No pressure whatsoever. We just had a lot of fun, had a lot of laughs and just got on with the task in hand. We knew what we wanted to achieve at the end of it. We wanted a quality product, a selection of songs that were all different. It was just a great experience to write without any rules. There was no one saying well we can’t do this or that because people won’t like it! So we got together a lot and just let the music flow
What’s your favourite song on the album and why?
That’s quite a hard one. I really like all the songs for different reasons but if I had to pick two tracks I’d say ‘Trinity Road’ because it’s just completely different to anything I’ve ever heard before and ‘Wild Life (The Tribe)’. ‘Wild Life’ is a track that kinda sums up the project. It’s got a bit of everything in it and I think it’s pretty infectious too. Proud of that one. It nearly didn’t happen because Kenny and James couldn’t stop laughing when I was trying to write the intro and using my acoustic as a bongo! I’m glad I persevered!
How do you see your position in the wider Power/Heavy Metal musical framework?
I don’t know really. I guess it doesn’t really matter how I perceive us. We are what we are. I just hope people like it and see us in the same light as the greats! Obviously I want us to be held in that regard but saying that we need to back up this release with another and it has to be better. There’s a lot more work to do
How do you see your songs/direction developing in the future?
I’m excited right now. We are literally about to hit the studio again now so it’s gonna be interesting to see what we come up with. I think at this stage we are likely to make a more progressive album this time round. I don’t like the idea of treading water as a musician. If you can’t better what you did before then there’s no point. I think we can. We are better musicians now and the new songs will definitely reflect that.
What’s next for All Seeing Eyes?
Another album although this one won’t be a double! We’d like to follow this up quickly so we are hoping to get another 8-10 track album done in the next 6-7 months. It’ll be difficult because I’m also in the middle of writing the new Neverworld album too. Keep your all seeing eyes peeled and we’ll keep you posted on the albums progress! Watch this space.
Ahamkara are from the UK and play Atmospheric Black Metal. This is their début album.
What’s your favourite song on the album and why?
Wonderbox Metal 