Cold Raw Records

 

Ancient Obscurity - Forn Vándr - (6/10) - The Metal Observer

 

Ancient Obscurity is a two piece Finnish black metal act that formed in 2013. The band released two independent demos and an EP through Exalted Woe Records within the year of their formation, but has since slowed their momentum, thus far leaving 2014 barren. The ever busy underground label Cold Raw Records unearthed Ancient Obscurity’s second demo, Forn Vándr, and, in what seems to be their usual fashion, released it on a CD-R to the tune of 66 copies.

 

 

 

Ancient Obscurity’s music on Forn Vándr borrows heavily from paths well trodden; combining the grandiose atmospherics of acts like Wodensthrone and Winterfylleth with the melodic tremolo picking and the cold atmospheres of the forerunners of the second wave. Despite their Finnish heritage, Ancient Obscurity shies away from the blasphemous murk and rapacious sound of many of their countrymen, opting for sweeping atmospheres and melodic nuances amidst their rather cold and raw sound.

 

 

 

For the most part, the songs are crafted quite well, but the end result is a tad front heavy. I know it’s only a four track demo, but the first two tracks are heads above latter two. The first two tracks utilize heavily melodic trem picking and sweeping power chords back by simplistic yet effective drumming. Perhaps it’s the slower tempos towards the end that account for my distaste, as “Wings Wither” takes the same elements and just slows everything to a crawling march, but at a slower pace Ancient Obscurity’s music has so much less impact. “Obscura” goes for a punkier black metal approach, summoning a slower version of Ildjarn or Gandr, but it doesn’t have a whole lot of impact.

 

 

 

With the basic songwriting on display during Forn Vándr, Ancient Obscurity show that they clearly have the potential to craft some memorable black metal. That being said, the vocals could use some help, lying somewhere between a strained growl and a raspy scream. Regardless of what you classify it as, it sounds forced and really doesn’t do the music justice. Similarly, the drumming gets extremely choppy at times and clouds up the rather epic pacing, distracting from the classy trem riffing. Clearly an act to watch out for, but they haven’t quite found solid ground yet.

 

 

 

 

Iter Pactum "Ritual" review on norskmetal.net:
6/6
Iter Pactum is a one-man band from somewhere in Norway. Not much is known about it, besides it being a one-man project, and that it’s founder and sole musician will be known only as Iter Pactum. Either way, an album has materialized shortly after the “Diabolical Cruicifixtion” demo/ep was out.

Apparently this album was written, recorded and mixed in about a week, but this is not a rush job. The music from Iter Pactum can best be described as atmospheric black metal, or if you will, think of it as the bastard child of Darkthrone (early 90′s) and Burzum (also early 90′s minus the ambient sections), and you might be on the verge of grasping this projects visions… But it is also lo-fi, nekrotic and hauntingly spellbinding in it’s nature, and damn well-made for a one-man project.

The “Ritual” starts with “Demonic Rites”, and I for one cannot escape the Burzum comparison music-wise. The repetitive riffing, and grim & cold vocals really adds to this evil feeling it brings forth. The guitar layers paint a majestic picture, and one listen through simply cannot do this album justice at all. It must be heard over and over to fully grasp everything that goes on. I find myself focusing on different aspects in the music on every listen through, be it the vocals one time and either the guitars, bass, or drums the next. It continues in the same spellbinding vein throughout the album, and will most definitely haunt your dreams afterwards.

As the album progresses on through “Blasphemy” & “Conjured By Blood”, the old school esthetics and desire for chaos gets to shine as well. And in a way I guess I can even throw in the oddball Abruptum referance here and there, to try and define the sonic chaos that I’m sure at times can induce motion sickness.
There is probably alot more that can and will be said about this album, but if given the chance, check out “Night of the Howling Moon”, a 9 minute study of the dark arts. This really brings forth the feeling of something mystical and occult happening on your stereo.
In total, “Ritual” offers 7 songs with approximately 45 minutes of total devastation, and by ordering the album via Bandcamp you will receive a secret bonus song, which in my ears does Dead total justice vocal-wise, and that is all I will reveal about the secret song.

Join the ritual, have your senses mindfucked and receive a true underground revelation.

6/6

 

 

 

 

ZAIMUS - "The Unholy Spells of Night" EP 6.5/10 review on Pest Webzine:
www.pestwebzine.com

Probably the first Band from Montenegro I get to review, Zaimus is a two-piece act founded in 2003. This is the band's debut EP previously released by the band in 2009 then picked up and re-released by Cold Raw Records this year. 4 tracks, almost 25 minutes of mid-tempo to fast paced Black Metal, cold and raw but backed by an atmospheric keyboard layer. It sounds ok, but it has nothing to impress, nothing to stand out from the crowd of similar bands; I honestly don't like the drum programming and most of the structures, way too simplistic for this time and age. On the other part I like the vocals' sharp and evil tone, the clear production and the fact that the band gives me the impression of being honest, so all in all you have nothing to loose by giving them a try, tyou might like it if you're into old-school underground Black Metal.
 

 

DASAP - D.A.S.A.P EP review on NocturnalCult Webzine
www.nocturnalcult.com


DASAP represent another in a long stream of recent French black metal bands who have leveled the underground with the intensity and darkness of their music. Cold Raw Records have seen fit to go back and rerelease their 6-song demo originally released in 2011. Yet Decayed showcases the diversity of DASAP's songwriting. Blasts of Satanic might, atmospheric segments, and a mood setting synth passage that induces a sense of impending dread. Midtempo grooves with rumbling drums and scraping vocals give way to an explosion of frenzied destruction. The speedy bursts open At Last. There is a sense of melody though not actually melodic. A determined set of chugging death metal riffs are accompanied by tormented vocals. Keyboard flourishes rise from the din and then the song flows into a drifting, atmospheric section. Open Water embraces acoustic, progressive guitar musings from its beginning and draws comparisons to Eucharist. Deny Failure returns us to DASAP's foundation with near melodies and muscular rhythms. Sharp changes in the song's movements lead to an abrupt end. But this sets the stage for the brooding, contemplative initial passage on Totally Insane. The guitars, bass, and drums surge into a mesmerizing undulation of sonic blackness. Chugging, deathly grooves are punctuated by strategic keyboard strokes on The Wolds Ends Here. The pace slows to a crawl and a swaying rhythm takes hold within the framework of the song. DASAP take black metal and bend it slightly with a progressive and adventurous edge. And to think, this is just their demo. Now I need to go out and see what their album is all about.

Brad Smith- NocturnalCult Webzine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helde / The Somberlain

Split

Cold Raw Records 2014

 

This split features two of Spain's most hellish denizens vomiting forth demonic black metal that is gritty and cold. Each band has two songs on display and they leave you with no doubt as to their devilish intent!First up is Helde and they are the rawer of the two bands. The first song Azken Hatsa is cruel and aggressive. Darkthrone references can be heard in the midtempo riffing as the track gets underway. Disharmonic accents give way to blasts of fierce black metal hatred. The drumming is definitely the driving force of the song and elicits a frenzied attack during the song's latter stages as sawing riffs flow over speedy hammering drum patterns. Loihezko Jainkoak begins with cold dissonance and then unloads a storm of vehemence upon your eardrums! This is pure audio violence. Half way through the song a Darkthrone-ish vibe picks up in its black thrashy riffing.That brings us to The Somberlain with its bassy, eruption of aggression and speed from the outset of Armageddon. In some way it reminds me a bit of Sabbat but I think that has to do with the primitive raucous style employed on this track. Black From The Tomb is a different story though with its more atmospheric style. Slowly brooding guitars create a sense of foreboding in the listener and then a fiery, near melodic passage flows freely, like a howling wind. The song slows to a crawl with atmospheric flourishes that give you a sense that you are slowly freezing to death. Then we are once again scorched with Satanic speed.Spain's underground is alive and full of demonic might as is evidenced by the material from these two unholy hordes. Similar and different at the same time, Helde and The Somberlain fuel my desire for more from these two morbid entities.

Brad Smith- NocturnalCult Webzine

 

 

Moribund - Excrementum Luciferi - Pontefractum Melancholicum - Split - (4/10)

Published on May 3, 2014

Tracklist: Moribund - Desecrate Their Conscience

Moribund - Rending in Depths of Seclusion

Excrementum Luciferi - In Comunione Excrementum

Excrementum Luciferi - Summoning the Tempests of Bile

Pontefractum Melancholicum - 13

Pontefractum Melancholicum - In the Mountains

Genre: Black Label: Cold Raw Records

Playing Time: 23:52

Country: United Kingdom  Year: 2014 

From the deepest bowels of the black metal underworld, the three way split between the California based Moribund, Salt Lake City native Excrementum Luciferi and, from across the pond in the United Kingdom, Pontefractum Melancholicum. Each band provides two tracks to this split, which was released in April of 2014 by the relatively new Cold Raw Records on CD in a limited run of 66 copies This shindig starts out with Moribund’s lo-fi assault on your sense. Two tracks of deep, throaty growls, fast paced blasts and relatively standard trem picking with a dash of punk influence. The music is extremely grainy and raw, but there is a strange undercurrent to the tracks as surges of bass notes repeatedly swell into prominence and fade again, giving the entire affair a very pulsing feel to it, especially towards the tail end of “Desecrate Their Conscience”. Even with the surging, pulsing approach, Moribund’s music is really nothing special; just noisy, abrasive black metal without a lot of substance to sink your teeth into. Excrementum Luciferi’s two tracks make Moribund’s offering sound like easy listening. Both tracks are poorly recorded, even by raw black metal standards. The cymbals are way to high in the mix and sound almost like chimes and the rest of the drums sound like someone kicking a cardboard box. The drums are fast, with some interesting rolls, but their muddled under the weight of the overbearing and noisy guitar and vocal sound. You really have to strain to hear what’s going on with these tracks and when you do, it’s not really all that rewarding, as it’s simplistic power chords and the occasional trem section with strange vocals that manage to combine spoken word and raspy growls. Really the only interesting portion they offer is the slightly chunky outro riff on “In Comunione Excrementum”. Everything is drawn out much longer than it should be and really fails to go anywhere or invoke any true sense of darkness or foreboding. Seriously, “Summoning the Tempests of Bile” does absolutely nothing until, once again, a chunky riff slowly carries you to the end of track. With little hope left for the remainder of the split, Pontefractum Melancholicum provides two tracks with a combined running time under three minutes and thirty seconds. Both tracks are exceedingly raw, with buzzsaw guitar riffs and blasting, grind infused drumming. “13” is extremely fast, grining black metal, which hits a solid groove with raspy black screams, but it ends abruptly, almost like it was just a teaser track. “In the Mountains” continues the grinding black metal, but instead of raspy growls, Pontefractum Melancholicum opts for croaky groans a la Inquisition, which is surprising fitting with the fast paced blasts and trem picking. This track also cuts off quickly, leaving you dazed and slightly confused, but still reeling from what are the two most intense tracks on the split. Anyone who spends any time listening to underground or obscure black metal knows that there’s a lot of untapped potential waiting to be discovered. Unfortunately, it would seem that for every decent band there are at least fifty that just shit the bed. While I dig the urgent, grinding black metal of Pontefractum Melancholicum, the Excrementum Luciferi and Moribund tracks go absolutely nowhere and do a whole lot of nothing. The thing that sucks is that the best two tracks take up about an eighth of the music on this split. The Pontefractum Melancholicum tracks are worth the meager three pound asking price from the label. Scoring breakdown: Moribund – 3 / 10 Excrementum Luciferi – 2 / 10 Pontefractum Melancholicum – 7 / 10 Scores added and divided by 30 for a grand total of: 4 / 10

Shawn Miller- The Metal Observer

 

 

Aksaya

Troisieme Guerre

Cold Raw Records 2014

 

French melodic black metallers Aksaya deliver their debut four-song EP. Catch melodic riffs couple with blasting segments define Aksaya stylistically. This is evident from the album's opener, Post Little Boy. Melodic riffs that remind me of older Swedish bands like In Flames and Dark Tranquillity join blackened blasts. The middle of the song has a more epic feel to it with longer, drifting melodic passages. Sorrow-tainted melodic phrasing greets you as Combattants gets underway. Gruffer, triumphant segments rise and fall, while flowing guitars surge and crest during the song. At times though it seems a little jumbled together and doesn't flow smoothly. Prisonnier brings to mind some older material, especially in the vocals. There is a serious bit of nostalgia and darkness present in this track. The melodies have an upward arc yet are clouded with a sense of maliciousness. The guitars seem thick and organic, however I get an underground ceremonial vibe from the track. The final track, Brise Tes Chaines is perhaps the most dangerous and harsh on the EP. Violent pacing and hammering drums are mated with meatier rhythms creating a tyrannical tone for the track. Aksaya's first EP is interesting as a whole but there are definite areas for improvement. The execution of the instrumentation is a little loose, somewhat similar to how the first Rotting Christ was borderline sloppy. Some of the sewing together of sections is a little awkward and I think the songwriting needs to improve a bit more for their next album.

Brad Smith- NocturnalCult Webzine

 

 

 

 

Zaimus

The Unholy Spells Of Night

Cold Raw Records 2014

 

Crawling from the obscure shadows of Montenegro is the infernal black metal of Zaimus' debut 4 song EP. I was immediately surprised by how I was grabbed by the energy and ferocity of their songwriting. The first song was the title-track and it swayed between an intense melodic riff and slower, keyboard driven segments that brought to mind early Gehenna. The vocals are stone-hard rasps. As the song drifted towards its conclusion a determined groove fed the track's foundation while swirling synth flourishes rush in like a whirlwind. A powerful build-up of marching soldiers announces the track Iron Fortress. A catchy riff with Gehenna-esque melodic synth makes the song even more engaging. The song slows to a midtempo groove with atmospheric keyboards and then surprisingly bursts into blasting black metal annihilation. A triumphant guitar/synth passage gallops from the opening of Nine Riders Of Black Sorcery. Speedy blasts follow like archer volleys and lead into a rousing mid-tempo stomp including a thick solitary bass. The guitars and synth rise and mimic the bass only to drift into nothingness. The final track is the speedy gusts of Lord Of Obscurity. Freezing blasts of hellish riffing and uptempo programmed drums absolutely cut through you like a cold wind across naked flesh. The song slows to a crawl while become ethereal with dominating bass lines and dreamy synth followed by melodic leads. A menacing set of riffs oozes across the final stages of the song until it is wiped away by speedy, sawing guitars and thunderous vocals. Zaimus does really well with a slightly modified take on First Spell-ish black metal. Really well done keyboard lines and interesting riffs make this such an enjoyable listen. I am definitely interested to hear what these guys do in the future.

Brad Smith- NocturnalCult Webzine

 

 

 

Midnattsvrede

Demo 13

Cold Raw Records 2013

 

Norway's latest torchbearer for black metal, Midnattsvrede does an admirable job of capturing the old spirit of Nordic black metal on their debut demo. This 5-song recording bears all the hallmarks of mid 90s Norwegian black metal, from the organic feel of the songs, the ancient sounding production and the pagan atmosphere of the music. Hollow Corpse utilizes simplistic drum lines and cold riffs as well as ghoulish vocals to convey the earthy musk of the forest. The riffs slowly sway and Burzum-esque double-bass drumming form the foundation before the song quickens with a triumphant near-melody. A folkish acoustic instrumental called Momento Morii is up next and adds to the nostalgic mood of the demo. Det Voldelige Rav careens in from the darkness with its swirling riffs and wild drum lines. The song gives the impression that it is loosely sewn together. But there is a magical texture to the main riff that brings to mind a much rawer, more primitive version of Ved Buens Ende. Sawing guitars and buzzing riffs flow across the fabric of Bones And Nightmares. The track slows to a funeral pace and becomes somewhat amorphous. Towards the end of the song, when its tempo picks up, it becomes a bit loose. Ultmarsj marches with an almost death metal riff initially. A Hellhammer-ish brutality exists in the track's early spirit. The songwriting could do with a little refinement and should result in a more cohesive feel to their future recordings. However, this is a promising demo. It shows that the ancient spirit of Nordic black metal is still burning strongly and exists in darkened corners of the underground inhabited trollish specters and pagan revenants. 

Brad Smith- NocturnalCult Webzine

 

 

 

Helde - The Somberlain - Split - (6/10)

Genre: Black

Label: Cold Raw Records

Playing Time: 11:51

Country: Spain

Year: 2013 / 2014

This short black metal split release was first put out in December of 2013 through the combined effort of La Humanidad Es La Plaga, Chaos 666 Records and In My Heart Empire on a limited edition 7” to the tune of 320 copies. On February 13, Cold Raw Records reissued this split on a limited CD-R run, with only 66 copies made. So it took the combined effort of four small record labels to bring this edition of this split to the light of day. Both bands on this release are from northern Spain, with Helde hailing from Basque Country and The Somberlain hailing from Galicia. With only eleven minutes to present two bands, this split flies by before anything fully registers. While neither band is going to get points for originality, this is still a nifty little split release. The Somberlain was formed in 1997 and remained dormant until their first release in 2010, an EP entitled Ancient Satanic Cult. Helde was formed in 2006 and this serves as their first release. The surprising thing is that, though The Somberlain is the longer running act, their music sounds less developed than Helde’s. Perhaps it’s the actually recording job that sounds less than desirable, but is a pretty blatant change of quality between the two sides of the split. Both bands bring forth their best second wave Norwegian black metal impressions to the fold. Helde’s version skips any type of down time and focuses instead on assaulting your senses with two blasting tracks of cold and rather harsh black metal. With loads of trebly power chords, distant screams, blast beats and a tad of chugging thrash riffs mixed in, Helde doesn’t attempt to hide their influences; instead they were them proudly on their blackened sleeves (ahem I mean vests, most likely without sleeves…). The production is actually quite solid here, with a thick and full sound to drive the underlying melodic guitar work forward while remaining grim. The band has a concrete sound that drives their brand of second wave worship straight through your skull. It’s not all that original, but these two tracks of cold black metal wouldn’t sound out place paired with Immortal’s Pure Holocaust. The Somberlain’s side is more melodic but it subjects your senses to the same style of cold and frosty black metal as Helde. Unlike Dissection though, the melody during The Somberlain’s music isn’t woven through patterns of majestic trem riffing. Instead, the band’s melody is interjected during a few lapses into softer, minor picked guitar passages. The production is rather thin here but rather than sounding dated it just sounds more like demo material or basement band tracks, especially when compared to the full sound of Helde’s side. The band’s super trebly guitar sound is really evident on the faster paced “Armageddon”, but they really lose the steam on their second track. Sure there are some solid moments of blasting, fast paced black metal, but the growled vocals and trebly guitars don’t really go too far. As far as second wave imitators go, The Somberlain isn’t bad but they aren’t amazing either. Although The Somberlain has been around far longer than Helde, it’s Helde who truly steals the show here. Both bands summon their greatest second wave impressions but unfortunately The Somberlain falls a bit short, coming across as average at best. Helde, on the other hand, showcased two rather exciting tracks; honestly, I’m left wanting more. This split is available through Cold Raw Records on CD-R, but it’s limited so act now. The Spanish underground is alive and this split is proof. Note: The majority of the points awarded on the score here are for the Helde side. If I had to break it down individual, I’d give The Somberlain a 4.5 / 10 and Helde an 7.5 / 10, hence the 6 / 10 total.

Shawn Miller - The Metal Observer

 

 

Zaimus - The Unholy Spell of Night - (8/10)

Published on March 8, 2014

Tracklist:

Under the Unholy Spells of Night

Iron Fortress

Lord of Obscurity

Nine Riders of Black Sorcery

Genre: Black

Label: Cold Raw Records

Playing Time: 23:59

Country: Montenegro

Year: 2009 / 2014

Montenegro is a rather small, picturesque country located in southeastern Europe. The country covers an area of 13,000 square miles, which, for my fellow western-folk, is only slightly larger than the area covered by Maryland. While all of Europe pumps out its share of metal acts, Montenegro is behind the times, with only four active bands listed on the Metal Archives (and only two inactive). Zaimus is one of those four Montenegrin bands attempting to light the torch of metal in every corner of the world. Zaimus was formed in 2003 and to date has only released a demo in 2007 and an EP titled The Unholy Spells of Night in 2009. Both were independently released by the band, but in 2014 the young, upstart label Cold Raw Records was able to re-release this album to a wider audience (that wider audience being the 66 lucky few to get a copy of the re-release on CD). I started my journey into the realm of Zaimus with trepidation. Usually bands from places without a large metal scene fail to impress me, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t like this EP. Sure it’s not the most original piece of black metal to be found on either side of the Atlantic, but it sure is impressive for a two man duo from an obscure location. No offense to Montenegrins, but seriously, your population is only 620,000, which is right at the same level as Vermont (which happens to be ranked 49th out of all US states). Anyways, I digress; Zaimus features Asmodai on guitar and Khamul on everything else. The Cold Raw Records re-release of The Unholy Spells of Night features all four of the original tracks in all of their twenty-four minutes of black metal glory. The four tracks presented give you a taste of what Zaimus has to offer, which is full of meaty riffs, growled raspy vocals, symphonic flourishes and some of the most competent drum programming I’ve ever heard from a demo band. The band starts off in fine fashion with tinges of Darkthrone styled tremolo riffing and blasting drums, but there are symphonic styled keyboard notes strewn throughout. The keys stay rather low key, adding some depth to the music without taking away from the menacing black metal. The songs are rather simplistic in structure, yet Zaimus interject driving melodies and marching rhythms into their music, keeping things far from boring. From the militant strides of the mid-paced “Iron Fortress” to the fiery Gorgoroth styled galloping during “Nine Riders of Black Sorcery”, Zaimus display that they can attack from multiple angles, yet keep a sound that is their own. Perhaps Zaimus keeps this identity by their selective use of keyboards, which aid the guitar riffs without sounding gimmicky. Just listen to the last minute of “Under the Unholy Spells of Night” for an example. The drum programming is rather solid, especially for a self-produced affair. The patterns are well thought out and refrain from generic, repetitive monotony. “Lord of Obscurity”, for example, showcases a frenetic beat led by a maniacal ride cymbal pattern which, even though it’s programmed, made my ears perk up. With that said, I can only imagine how potent the band’s sound could be with a real, in the flesh drummer. There are only a few awkward moments, like a slightly out of place guitar lead during “Lord of Obscurity”, but Zaimus quickly dust themselves off and berate your senses with some blasting black metal to finish off the track. I entered The Unholy Spells of Night fully expecting to hear some grainy, cloned black metal, but I was completely caught unaware. Cold Raw Records found a solid EP to re-release and I’m glad that some others will be able to check out Zaimus. All info shows that Zaimus is still active as a two piece, so here’s to hoping their next release isn’t too far away (hell, it’s been five years already). Here’s to hoping it’s as good as this is…

Shawn Miller - The Metal Observer

 

 

Cold Raw Records: Abnabak + Midnattsvrede + DASAP Mar 07, 2014 

 

Underground label Cold Raw Records specialise in digging up black metal from across the globe, the more obscure the better, and Midlands Rocks’ Paul Castles checks out three of their recent releases. From Morocco we have Abnabak, from Norway are Midnattsvrede, and from France come DASAP. Charming. 

Abnabak – Under The Mask Of Humanity EP

Black metal reaches into nooks and crannies across the planet although it’s fair to say most of us haven’t come across too many exponents of the dark craft from Morocco. Enter Abnabak with Under The Mask Of Humanity which is not really what you would expect to hear emerging from north Africa. The four-track EP is a one-man enterprise and its creator Aggor clearly draws his inspiration from the likes of Mayhem, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that in my book. All four tracks gallop along at a tidy clip. This isn’t just solemn swathes of darkness, there’s light peeping through as well. Vocally Aggor mostly adopts a slow gravelly tone which set alongside some pounding drumbeats and neatly woven guitar segments takes it towards Burzum territory. Without knowing much more about Aggor’s background it’s not easy to know how the sounds of the Norwegian fjords and forests infiltrated the land of the fez. This though is a pretty good stab at early black metal.

7 out of 10

Midnattsvrede – Demo13 EP

Listening to Norwegian black metal is rarely time wasted so it’s no surprise to learn that this EP from Midnattsvrede is 15 minutes well spent. In the tradition of its many forefathers Demo 13 is a dark and twisted affair simmering with evil intent. Midnattsvrede – which translates as Midnight Wrath – first emerged in Oslo in 1994 with their three-year stint resulting in just one EP. After a hiatus of more than 15 years Ole Teigen reassembled the band under the Midnattsvrede moniker last year, although this five-track ‘Demo 13’ EP is more or less all his own work. The tone is fairly traditional bleak and desperate with barked vocals penetrating the chill air. The first number, ‘Hollow Corpse’ has quite a lively rhythm with a vibrant percussion. This is followed by a sorrowful instrumental moment of reflection, silky harmonies and wispy interjections before the dark storm clouds circle overhead again for ‘Det voldelige rav’ which carries a Burzumesque ambience. Midnattsvrede are now a four-piece and they’ve just had an EP released  called Ripe Fruit on the Gallows Tree. I will certainly be keen to check this out having enjoyed ‘Demo 13’

8 out of 10

DASAP – D.A.S.A.P EP

DASAP hail from France and serve up a creative aural carnage not dissimilar from their esteemed countrymen Svart Crown. This self-titled EP comes in at around 25 minutes and features six pounding tracks that seek to permeate your cranium and turn the contents upside down and inside out. Songs such as ‘At Last’ are pretty destructive stuff but carrying a layer of twisted textures that intrigues and inspires in equal measure. When you’ve got song titles such as ‘Totally Insane’ you know you’re in for a rough ride from this Gallic gorehound. ‘Deny Failure’ kicks in with a thunderous riff that sounds like a volcano coughing up burning hot lava. Although Cold Raw’s bread and butter is old school black metal, DASAP doesn’t really fit into the church burning corpsepaint category. What this enterprising one man venture does do is unleash a dirty dirge of black sludge that once engaged with is hard to shake off. This EP coincides with another release, Don’t Worry It Will Be Worse, which should also be worth a spin is it’s anything like this feral beast.

7 out of 10

Paul Castles - The Midlands Rocks

 

Midnattsvrede

"Demo 13" EP

Cold Raw Records 2014

 

Back from a long hiatus, Midnattsvrede released “Demo 13″ last year, which has since then been put out by Cold Raw Records as an EP.And it starts off nice enough with a great old school feel in the music. It sounds cold & dark without getting pretentious and over-accomplishing. These guys have definitely been down this road before, and the opener, “Hollow Corpse”, could just as easily have been put out in the early to mid 90s. It just has that proper old school feel to it.The acoustic “Memento Mori” is a bit weird though, and to me it resembles too much the “Diary of a Madman” intro Randy did back in the day for Ozzy.Overall this 15-16 minute, 5 track demo is time well spent, and it has the right feel to it. Cold, dark & evil vibes come creeping out of every guitar lick, and the vocals are eerie enough to make it even creepier. The bass however could have been a bit louder & the drums sound a bit flat to me. The only real beef I have with this release is that the audio levels vary a bit from song to song. Loud, lower and louder again, but then again it is a demo. Apart from that, “Demo 13″ is a great ride, so take it for what it is and enjoy the old school being brought to life by Midnattsvrede!

www.norskmetal.net

 

 

Excrementum Luciferi

Nos Inducas Tuum Fetidness

Cold Raw Records 2014

 

Salt Lake City's solitary black metal isolationist, Excrementum Luciferi slashes through the Xtian veil with its debut demo/EP. The release starts with an intro of totalitarian nihilism comprised of authoritarian samples and layered, destructive noise titled, Defecration. Then the true beast is unmasked on the first real track, The Great God Pain. Fuzzed out, buzzing guitars and an inhospitable wall of blasting, trebly guitars and echoing vocals assaults your senses. Traditional riff patterns with a Nordic slant can be discerned beneath the murk. Procession To The Primordial Mound announces itself through distorted samples and an atmospheric midtempo riff. There is a dogged determination behind the rhythm. The vocals are warped with filth and serve as a counter to the surprisingly soothing, and classy melodic guitar lead. I did take not of an awkward guitar break at the 4:09 mark which interrupted the flow of the song. The title-track has a bit of a Burzum feel to it mixed with a bit of Hellhammer-ish primitivism. The main riff has a triumphant feel to it and settles into periods of atmospheric coldness accentuated by cymbal rides. The riffs chug, but sound somewhat loose in their execution, a rehearsal-ish texture to the overall song which I think the production has to do with. Perhaps the most cohesive track on the whole demo is Protoplasmic Genesis. I think this is mainly due to the speed of the track which captures the energy of the band and pushes distractions to the side. All together, there are a couple issues I have, some of the songwriting isn't as smooth as it could be and the vocals tend to dominate the tracks, plus there is a tad too much fuzz in the production for me. However this is a solid demo that certainly has me intrigued.

Brad Smith - Nocturnal Cult Webzine

 

 

Helde/The Somberlain 2014 Split 

This is a review of a split ep between Spain's Helde And The Somberlain which was released  in 2014 and we will start off the review with Helde which plays a very cold and raw form of old school black metal. Their side of the split starts off with a mid paced old school black metal sound along with high pitched screams and then the music starts to speed up along with blast beats as well as bringing in a mixture of mid paced and fast parts and they bring this out as well in their second song which goes for an even more heavy and brutal sound. Song lyrics are written in Spanish and cover dark themes, while the production has a very raw and old school 90s style black metal sound to it In my opinion Helde are a very great sounding cold and raw old school style black metal and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out their side of the split. RECOMMENDED TRACK "Azken Hatsa". Next up is The Somberlain a band that has been featured before in this zine and plays a melodic, old school and blasphemous form of black metal. Their side of the split starts off with a dark and melodic sound before going into a more fast and raw direction along with grim vocals and blast beats and on the following song they start off with a more slower direction before going back to their fast and aggressive sound while also mixing in the slow parts in certain sections of the song. Song lyrics cover darkness and Armageddon themes, while the production has a very dark, raw and heavy sound to it. In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from The Somberlain and if you are a fan of raw, blasphemous and black metal, you should check out the 2 songs which they bring to the recording. RECOMMENDED TRACK "Black From the Tomb". RECOMMENDED TRACK "Black From The Tomb". In conclusion I feel this is a very great sounding split and I would recommend to all fans of old school black metal. 8 out of 10.

OccultBlackMetalZine

 

 

 

 

Abnabak "Under The Mask Of Humanity" EP

 

I have to say that I was really rather excited, and damn curious, to investigate the music of one man band Abnabak and give Under The Mask Of Humanity a spin. It’s not every day you get asked to review black metal from Morocco.

The influences threaded throughout the album include the different faces of schizophrenia, and the dark abyss of philosophy.

The first track, Misanthrope feels raw, murky and slightly muffled. The vocals are witheringly cold and suitably grim. The track does accelerate in the second half, and as a listener, I’m made to feel as if I’m running out of time. The track fades out with what sounds like a fox barking and crows gabbing. It’s a really strong, atmospheric start to the album.

From War doesn’t sound as oppressive. It’s actually a bit more experimental. The tempo is quite slow and the overall sound differs a fair bit from the first track. I have to say that I’m quite pleased about this, as variety is key in my book. There’s quite a hypnotic, even warm feel to it. It’s almost as if it’s wrapping itself around my consciousness. The vocals add real heaviness and depth. The track does pick up the pace and the vocals become a bit more desperate and harrowing. There is complete control over everything, and the timing is spot on.  The tempo slows down again as the track rounds up to finish. There’s a real strength to this track, and it’s admirable that it’s just one man behind everything.

Hate has a much harsher feel. It’s strong, heavy and dark. There hasn’t been much experimentation with the vocals as yet, but it doesn’t really matter, as there’s a lot to get out of it otherwise. The track speeds up, hardens and becomes significantly more brutal. It isn’t extraordinary, but it’s satisfying enough.

The final track There is a Period to Everything has quite a desperate feel to it, as if it’s hurrying to be finished.

 

Under the Mask of Humanity makes for a satisfying listen. Reach for it if you’re interested in broadening your black metal horizons.

[8/10]

Katie Metcalfe - Destructive Music Webzine

 

 

 

 

 

Abnabak "Under The Mask Of Humanity" EP

 

When Scandinavia bolstered the misanthropic art of grim Black Metal in the early nineties, many fellow alumni from far and wide began to develop their own brand of noise, complete with influences native to their own culture. Abnabak from Morocco is one such band which has taken the aesthetic and had firmly planted their seed with premier album, “Under the Mask of Humanity”, out now.

Being shrouded in relative obscurity, not much is known of these dark souls. They aren’t even inducted into Metal-Archives.com! “Lo-fi , cold and remorseless” can easily describe essentially what Abnabak have contributed to the genre. “Hate” uses some of the depressive, drone work of bands such as Krohm, Judas Iscariot or Xasthur. Although, not very technical, the song structure boasts repetition to allow for gloom to properly sink in as shrill vocals overlap mid-paced melancholy. “From War” also displays a strong penchant for the morose; however the sound is slightly more threatening in nature and includes an underlying hostility throughout.

“Misanthrope” and “There is a Period to Everything” both share similar attributes, but add touches of hectic fury in their drumming and tremolo guitar picking. Structurally, they offer more variety, style-wise and run the gamut of rhythms and pacing which only benefit the album as a whole.

Abnabak’s, “Under the Mask of Humanity” does exhibit many commonalities with other grim, “necro” sounding bands but what the album may lack in originality, it makes up for in conviction and quality. Well played and easy to listen to, the Moroccan troupe has released a debut that may stoke the fires if they have the foresight to distinguish themselves on future releases.

 

Standout Tracks: “Hate”, Misanthrope”

 

7/10

Ondeschocs Webzine (CA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pontefractum Melancholicum "Bloody Pomfret" EP

 

 Pontefractum Melancholium is the reincarnation of a psychopathic Black Metal band called Lobotomy I had the luck to review last year, in that occasion I was completely amazed by the incredibly devastating Black Metal this one man band played at this apocalyptic album entitled “Death”… After a demo and three full length albums, Doctor, the insane mastermind behind this project, decided to change the band’s name from Lobotomy to a more complicated but undoubtedly more mysterious name… “Bloody Pomfret” is the second release under the name of Pontefractum Melancholium, being the first one, a demo entitled “Anti”, released in 2012… Musically the band continues with the diabolic proposal created with Lobotomy, this time with seven tracks clocked at 17 minutes of chaotic, noisy and Satanic Black Metal; the whole EP is based over painfully noisy atmospheres, where the saturated and cyclic riffs are definitely the main responsible for this incredible chaos, the drumming here is simple, straight and unmerciful, which combined with some intense reverberant sound contributes here with an inhuman industrial sound while the vocal work of Doctor consists in possessed, demented and tortured screams, just as we appreciated in its early work with the band’s previous incarnation… As you probably expected, the production here is very dirty and intentionally saturated in order to create an impure aura of chaos and devastation, achieving some remarkable results. Overall “Bloody Pomfret” is a devastating and satanic piece of Black Metal, that even when does not sounds precisely within the parameters of the Traditional Black Metal, certainly encloses the corrupted and chaotic spirit of True Black Metal… If you’re into clear sounding, carefully composed or melodic Black Metal, stay away from this release, but if you enjoy the infernal sound of works such Havohej’s “Kembatinan Premaster”, you will certainly love this ultra-chaotic and noisy piece of Black Metal art…

Alvaro Pacheco - BurningBlack Webzine

 

 

 

Pontefractum Melancholicum "Anti"

 

The wall of raw noise emanating from my speakers is an ode to primitive coldness, Pontefractum Melancholicum.  At times I am reminded of Ildjarn or Gorgoroth at their noisiest.  The title track utilizes a repetitive riff pattern that resembles some stripped down Nordic black metal.  The vocals are like vomiting spite.  This impression brought straight into the forefront of Sex Blood Vomit.  I hear hints of Burzum in the initial riff segments but then it becomes more pounding in style.  That tends to disrupt the fluid movement of the main riff.  The track then slides into total demonic vocal repetition and more Gorgoroth-esque riffing.  Wavering rhythmic guitars lay the foundation on Hypoxia while the vocals rasp like a frozen troll.  The riffs on Salvatore are so frigid that they stab your ears with icicles.  Monk Hill begins with a riff that is eerily similar to Beherit's Gate of Nanna but then blasting black metal intensity is unleashed like a blizzard.  Ice Princess begins with a folky black metal riff before veering into hyper-speed black metal melodies, somewhat like a thinner sounding Transilvanian Hunger.  It then drops back into the folk style riff for a hint of epic nostalgia.  I am not a huge fan of some of the drum machine used on some of the tracks but the sound and tempos are varied enough to keep it interesting and from sounding completely artificial.  Also some of the songwriting is not smooth and the songs can sound a little choppy at times.  But I think with time and experience this will get ironed out.  If you like your black metal raw, harsh and primitive then Pontefractum Melancholicum will certainly catch your ear and the promise of an ice cold future will be delivered.  

Brad Smith - NocturnalCult Webzine

 

 

Pontefractum Melancholicum "Bloody Pomfret"EP

 

Noisy and raw, Bloody Pomfret is the epitome of malevolence and is the new EP from the UK's unrelenting black metal misanthrope, Pontefractum Melancholicum.  With a hammering drum machine and thin guitar riffs, Slough is caught somewhere between the hellish noise of The Oath Of Black Blood era Beherit and Norway's industrial demons, Mysticum.  Satan Whispers is just as harsh and inhospitable with its minimalist, sawing riffs and fuzzed out production.  Doctor's vocals bring to mind comparisons to Hat on Gorgoroth's seminal album, Pentagram.  They are all thin shrieks and hateful rasps.  The track with the same name as the band is no less caustic.  The trebly guitars slice through you like a cold wind on naked flesh.  There is a truly frigid moment when the drums and vocals drop out to reveal a Nordic guitar riff in its solitary contemplation.  The guitars warble and flail with feral tones while the vocals cast a nocturnal pall across the title-track.  The cold wind sample that introduces Only Wolves fades only to reveal, freezing riffs that turn your blood to ice and then kick into some blasting black thrash.  The final track, Nostalgia, is singular, atmospheric guitar that weaves itself around the sound of freshly falling rain.  I love the amount of analog fuzz that permeates this recording.  You can hear the vinyl hiss and pop even though this is a CD.  The tracks are short and unpolished but shine with a flame of negative emotions and Satanic pride.  Bloody Pomfret is probably not an album I will listen to a lot, but it hits the core of cold, cruel black metal feeling that the aforementioned albums (Gorgoroth/Mysticum/Beherit) gleamed with.

Brad Smith - NocturnalCult Webzine

 

 

Pontefractum Melancholicum "Anti"

 

 this chaotic war artifact loading of pure hatred ready to unload all its blasphemy sound hellish weapons in eleven of the most supreme and hellish black metal as allies with vomiting and bloody black passages with well rotted before dark and desperate instruments of pain dense riffs and macabre the drums to give an even more energy to this bestial satanic cult around him and this material devoted to true metal brothers profane.

Julio Cesar - TheGloryOfPaganFire  WebZine