MALICE DIVINE

 

Origen: Canadá, Toronto

Formados: 2019

Estilo: Black melódico, death

Temática:?

Enlaces: Bandcamp, deezer, facebook, instagram, spotify y youtube

Miembros:

• Ric Galvez Bajo, guitarra y voces

Discografía:

• Malice Divine CD 2021
• Everlasting Ascendancy CD 2023

MALICE DIVINE (2021)

Este primer y extenso álbum de la esta one man band canadiense detrás de la cual podemos encontrar a Ric Galvez, ex de Astaroth Incarnate, hunde sus raíces e influencias en el sonido black/death melódico de las bandas suecas de mediados de los noventa. Sorprende estar ante un álbum que salvo el haber contado con un batería de sesión, el resto se ha llevado a cabo por una sólo persona, ya que el sonido es potente y denso, sustentado sobre todo en unos potentes y variados riffs de guitarras y una poderosa y trabajada voz. El álbum suena compacto, alejado de sinfonismos pero repleto de líneas melódicas tanto en las secciones más lineales de los riffs, como cuando estos ofrecen cierta variedad, cumpliendo a la perfección en las partes más directas y rápidas pero mostrando todo su esplendor cunado se trata de trabajar elementos más lentos, cercanos a los medios tiempos, gracia a la capacidad de Ric para no bajar la intensidad de la propuesta. La batería suena imponente e implacable una labor que es de agradecer cuando la propuesta de Malice Divine se muestra rápida y directa pero amoldándose perfectamente cuando la propuesta se muestra más lenta, acompañando y manteniendo una línea de intensidad casi que prefecta. Las voces de Ric son capaces de mantener un tono perfecto en lo que cabría esperar de un álbum de black/death melódico, intensas, potentes, directas cuando es necesario pero repletas de recursos, al tiempo que logran tener presencia sobre el apartado musical. Un primer trabajo que deja unas expectativas elevadas, ante un proyecto que presta atención a los registros más clásicos del género pero que sigue contando con cierto margen de mejora. (8,1)

1. Somnium Lucidus 02:00   instrumental

2. Quantum Manifestation 07:11

Come to me divine energy And fill my mind with future sights That’ll come to life in due time Let me see, a new life so supreme It’s time to ride to the other side, don’t waste your life, or your mind Face Divinity, choose prosperity Time is at your door, manifesting more and more These true prophecy’s stem from reveries that transcends every day, Every time, now soar away I create my own reality, as I choose to be Limitless potentialities all at hand for me Here and now appears sanguinity, recurring for all time, strength is mine My immortal accession is a quantum manifestation Soon to be realities will come to pass embodied as subconscious pacts To transform my past No more fear inside of me My creative mind, assertive might is epitomized in plain sight Face Divinity, choose prosperity Time is at your door, manifesting more and more These true prophecy’s stem from reveries that transcends every day, Every time, now soar away I create my own reality, as I choose to be Limitless potentialities all at hand for me Here and now appears sanguinity, recurring for all time, strength is mine My immortal accession is a quantum manifestation Time is never a hindrance upon me For now and forever, abundance sets me free A quantum existence is the prime of life This relentless determine of mine will never die You’ll see my Victory and say there could be no other way I’ve gained such tenacity from pain, trials, and adversity Pre-vail, reign, dominate, initiate this new state of being I’ve changed and transformed my ways, now you will see a new form of me. Courage, vigor, toughness is now immensely boundless, forging onward towards my true fate. Manifestations of justice will defeat this life of lies, at one with ascendence and one with the powers of the cosmic mind. Face Divinity, choose prosperity Time is at your door, manifesting more and more These true prophecy’s stem from reveries that transcends every day, Every time, now soar away I create my own reality, as I choose to be Limitless potentialities all at hand for me Here and now appears sanguinity, recurring for all time, strength is mine My immortal accession is a quantum manifestation (x2)   

3. Malicious Divinity 05:54

  The time to strike is now

Destroy their minds somehow

Never should I’ve been the one that’s lambasted

Such blatant hypocrisy was projected onto me

And now you will be the one that will suffer

Vicious, Mal-intentions

Persist on and on throughout time

A vengeance, so malicious

Malicious Divinity

You claim your way’s are right

That will all change this night

When I wound your mind so unexpected

I’ll strike within your dreams

I’ll maim your self-esteem

You’ll know that I’m not one to be fucked with

Vicious, Mal-intentions

Persist on and on throughout time

A vengeance, so malicious

Malicious Divinity

My mind’s so vast and strong

Determined as hell to prove you wrong

You will see that I am Divine

My Godly malignance will ruin your life

The time to strike has passed

You know the pain at last

It doesn’t feel too good now, does it?

Now you will think again

Before you scold like then

For my divinity will forever crush you

Vicious, Mal-intentions

Persist on and on throughout time

A vengeance, so malicious

Malicious Divinity

Boundless Retribution

will forever annihilate you

Tenacious ruthless sadist

Vindictive proclivity

4. Triumphant Return 05:35

 Day to Day time fades away

But still, I see a vision of whats to be

Soon to return from my dismay

Persevering for eternity

Cast aside into the night

As I was told words just as cold

Pain and fear then came to be

But this cannot ever discourage me

I will return and win and seize the day

A Triumphant return is what’s in store for me

Stronger now I have become

Assertiveness and forever ambitious is what I personify

A life time of a drive that will never die

I will return and win and seize the day

A triumphant return is what’s in store for me

Every time a tribulation has come my way, I have conquered against the odds

Overpower, overwhelm, crush them all, of those who underestimate the strength of my will

The climb towards the top never fails to thrill

My blood and tears is the price I have to pay

For a triumphant return of boundless victory

I will return, and win and seize the day

A triumphant return is what’s in store for me

And now I feel so commanding, ascending on with true supremacy 

5. Into Subconscious Depths 08:02

Come and fade away from reality and peer inside my mind What is it that we will find? A maze of old beliefs that form events to be Patterns of the past, soon to die and cease at last Initiate transcendence of beliefs that manifests these old realities As I dive within my mind, mental blocks will come to light Conquering the demons of my past At last, I see the life ahead for me, as I dive Diving deep into subconscious depth Pain of wounded souls, stories yet untold of the trauma lingering deep within our memories Yearning for relief from rage, shame, and grief, filling my consciousness for years and years of unrest Don’t you fucking dare pigeonhole me I’ll crush your views of who I am with glee As I strived for years to find, the depths of my mind outlined Altering the meaning of times passed At last, I see the light ahead for me, as I dive Diving deep into the subconscious I foresee the sovereignty of a time where I’ve rised to what I define myself to be, my true personality Cutting down thoughts embraced By the shrouds of past disgrace Fighting on through time, old memories will die This Dismay, it all falls away Crush these chains, goodbye as my mind dies this day I have overcome all of those demons and now I am free to pursue my true destiny Gone is the haze, done is the pain. Never again will I find myself in those states of mind Decimated subsistence of beliefs, that manifested my past psychologies Thriving on and so alive is my spirit and my drive, no more will I be off my path At last, I see the life ahead for me, as I dive Diving deep into subconscious depths   

6. Ancient Visions 06:14

I see a memory of this time so very long ago Deeper way back in time, a time long way before my life As I walk through time and space, I will see the past as faced by a mind preceding mine, ancient sights, and visions of a past life Walking through ancient streets of this place so unknown to me What is this I know feel? Sadness of these past life tragedies As I walk through time and space, I will see the past as faced by a mind preceding mine, ancient sights, and visions of a past life As I fly way back into time, I have seen the pain As I fly way back into time, I have seen my fate On and on to reign while fate is spawned Stuck inside the binds of a bold past life Life is still a mystery, now that I’ve brought back these memories Lessons forever fill my mind, lessons from a time way before my life As I walk through time and space, I will see the past as faced by a mind preceding mine, ancient sights, and visions of a past life As I walk through time and space, I will see the past as faced by a mind preceding mine, ancient sights, and visions of a past life   

7. In Time 08:11

  There is a time when you will realize that in time I will crush your false kind

Your Ignorance will soon be known to others. Your ignorance was bred from one another

In time, you will see what will become of me

In time, you will find that I’m the one that’s right

You scolded me as unfairly as can be

Eye for an eye, you will feel my spite

No more will I be the one that’s minimized. For as I rise my full strength comes to life

This is my vengeance and strength of my will. Fuck your condescension, soon I’ll prevail!

In time, you will see what will become of me

In time, you will find that I’m the one that’s right

You scolded me as unfairly as can be

Eye for an eye, you will feel my spite

You manipulate your way through life, it’s clear as day

False impressions feeds the perception of persona’s you portray

You’re so fake, you manipulate, you’re two-faced as can be

An inauthentic appearance is all I’ve yet to see

Manipulation, mass deceit

Faked emotions, is all that we have seen

I fucking reject your shit views of me

I cannot respect your hypocrisy

8. Intuitive Realization 03:40

 Something is coming to mind, a visualization of radiant times

That are soon to be here for me, for all to see

Intuition’s guiding me to an everlasting life of might (x2)

Now it’s clear to me, the path towards the prodigy

That I soon will be, from my visions and my dreams

Intuition’s guiding me to an everlasting life of might (x2)

I knew before this came, that it would be this way.

Visions of times yet to come now will become one, with this reality as I transcend time and space.

It leaves me lost in contemplation, magical like an incantation

Daydream vision mystification, It’s an intuitive Realization

Intuition’s guiding me to an everlasting life of might (x4)

9. The Transcendence of Isolation 09:46

For all my life I felt like these ways of mine belonged in another time

Alone with my subjective sights, forlorn I sigh, but still refusing to resign

Transcend the pain, go beyond angst and grief

Solitary days will never be in vain

Transcend the thoughts that make you feel so lost

The sign of a newfound way

(x2)

Trapped inside my own thoughts, filled with fear, shame, and grief

No one there to reach out, isolation is now encompassing

Transcend the pain, go beyond angst and grief

Solitary days will never be in vain

Transcend the thoughts that make you feel so lost

The sign of a newfound way

(x2)

Isolated times, locked within my mind

Transcend the pain of Isolation and dismay

I will overcome these chains around my heart

and ascend away to augmentation, and reign supreme

I refuse to surrender to these fears, no more will I be controlled

My heart has opened with no more shame, forging on as I embody this strength

Transcend the pain, go beyond angst and grief

Solitary days will never be in vain

Transcend the thoughts that make you feel so lost

The sign of a newfound way

(x2)

  56:33

Holocausto Em Chamas ‎– לָשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ 19,99 €

Regular Edition with White on black splatter record housed on a 350 g regular, printed on the reverse side with 3 mm spine + A4 insert, limited to 200 pieces.

EPHEMERALD

 

Origen: Finlandia

Formados: 2016

Estilo: Black, death melódico, folk

Temática: Depresión y duelo

Enlaces: Bandcamp, deezer, facebook, instagram, spotify, twitter y youtube

Miembros:

• Joni Snoro Guitarra
• Juho Suomi Batería
• Lauri Myllylä Bajo
• Tuomo Sagulin Teclados
• Vesa Salovaara Voces

Discografía:

• I Bear Fire Single 2017  
• Till the Sea Swallows Us Whole Single 2017  
• Servant Single 2020  
• No Fall Is Too Deep Single 2020  
• All There Is Single 2021  
• Between the Glimpses of Hope CD 2021

BETWEEN THE GLIMPSES OF HOPE (2021)

Primer álbum de estudio para esta banda finlandesa que a groso modo ofrece un álbum que nos sumerge en un sonido que responde al patrón el death sinfónico más clásico dentro de la tradición de su país de origen. "Between the Glimpses of Hope" es un álbum de sonido potente que podemos decir que entra a la primera al no estar exento de cierta dosis de melodía que muchas veces viene de aportes que podemos relacionar tonto con sonido de procedencia folk como otros que se podrían mezclar con el power. Sobresale en todas las composiciones el portentoso sonido de batería que muchas veces inunda con su contundencia las composiciones, pero que al mismo tiempo logra que los riffs vayan cobrando el protagonismo que se merecen. Las voces sobresalen en la adopción de un tono repleto de contundencia, empleándose a fondo en una faceta muy del gusto de sonido death o black sinfónicos, aunque el registro se nos muestra variado cuando la música baja de velocidad y adopta un tono más intimista y relajado al tiempo que las voces se muestran limpias y graves como sucede en un tema como "All there is". Es cierto que al fórmula empleada no ofrece sustanciales mejoras con el sonido original dentro del death sinfónico, pero no podemos negar que el álbum logra sonar fresco, contundente, conciso y sobre todo equilibrado entre lo podemos definir como intensidad y contundencia, frente a una línea mucho más melódica y limpia, usando el black y el death como punto de partida al tiempo que usa los sonido sinfónicos como nezx de unión entre ellos. (7,9).

Inverse Records

1. Grand Creation 04:36  

2. I Bear Fire 04:25  

3. Servant 04:35  

4. Lost 05:03  

5. All There Is 03:23  

6. Reborn 04:21  

7. No Fall Is Too Deep 04:54  

8. Till the Sea Swallows Us Whole 05:03  

9. Into the Endless 04:48  

  41:08

The Absence ‎– A Gift For The Obsessed 18,99 €

Limited to 500 copies on red vinyl w/ black haze.

KJELD

 ÔFSTÂN (2021)

Segundo larga duración para los holandeses que mantienen en su sonido la esencia del black más tradicional, sobre todo si en el buscamos influencias de la segunda ola,  aunque en esta ocasión han sabido  imprimir más detalles a su música alejándola un tanto del clasicismo. Los riffs que podemos encontrar en "Ôfstân" son de carácter variado sin apenas repetición en cuanto a estructuras pero si que en ciertas partes se repiten para enfatizar algunos elementos relacionados con la intensidad. Su propuestahh a ganado elementos que podemos relacionar con la melodía sobre todo presente en un bajo que ha ganado cierto protagonismo con respecto pasado y que al mismo tiempo aporta una faceta más pagana la conjunto, no del todo presente de manera descarada, pero si que hace acto de presencia muchas veces sin previo aviso. Tal vez este carácter más pagan y melódico encuentre su punto de sustento en las líneas de teclado que salpican las composiciones, con una presencia casi que testimonial pero si que suficiente para crear una sutil línea de primitiva oscuridad . Las voces se antojan del todo necesarias para contribuir a equilibrar las partes más "accesibles" del plano musical en contraste con un apartado vocal mucho más agresivo, directo y oscuro, con algunas concesiones a terrenos más corales en algunas partes pero marcando una línea mucho más cruda. Este nuevo álbum sabe recoger el calado de las composiciones más tradicionales dentro del black con elementos que Kjeld ha sabido incorporar, sin caer en el vanguardismo pero si lo suficientemente acertados para que el oyente navegue entre la pureza del black y elementos más actuales. (8,1).

Heidens Hart Records

1. Betsjoend 06:51   

2. De iensume widner 03:32  

3. Wylde rixt 05:45  

4. Ôfstân 08:25  

5. Asbran 04:39  

6. Wite fokel 07:34  

7. Falske doop 08:27  

8. Skaad 05:23  

9. Konfrontaasje 05:10  

  55:46

Empty ‎– Eternal Cycle Of Decay 13,99 € 

LP LIMITED EDITION WITH POSTER A2
A Fine Day to Die Records LP FIRST PRESS LIMITED EDITION 300 HANDNUMBERED COPIES
It´s 15 years since we released our first recording, from the purest innocence and unconsciousness of what we realized later that this already moribund way of life called Black Metal turned into. Times of pure magic and ingenuousness that nowadays resound as echoes in abysses already forgotten by many. I feel nostalgia of these old times since although all of us changed I yearn for that life which took me to be part of this movement. A movement that made sense all our feelings that all those youngsters cherished, that we saw it as a way to express our most terrible and despairing feelings, our alienation of life, our understanding that all this was a much more than mere rock´n roll, party, fame… All this remain buried under a mantle of disgust and nausea that many bands created when they changed the flutter of the black banner for one circle that has to do with ridiculous musicians´ egos. Belonging to misfortune feelings, the searching of the own solitude, that being of Black Metal as something felt from inside not for outside, those souls that are happier near the drama than near the fame… I still remember the sprit that made us to create those epic atmospheres. I am still standing here as a herald of negativity. I know many of you have stayed behind but I know that we still stay a few that after attending that false myths fell; we still keep on the black legacy. I still go on while you rot little by little… Although we are few those who are reading this keep me to raise the black flag in the sky.

Drizzt "Sarnad"
This work shows the early times of the band. The black hearts and the youth marked the path of the band above the skills with their instruments.Being coetaneous of its time, It had influences of the early bands of the early 90´s with touches from Norwegian, Swedish, Austrian and Polish sounds, including acoustic guitar passages which gave the album a more atmospheric touch than the later works of the band. It was recorded in a half-professional with quite few means.“Eternal Cycle Of Decay” emanates coldness and nostalgia from all its songs.Laying the foundations of the band´s later sound. With songs such as “Spheres Of Blood” or “Chaotic Days Of Doom Desolation” or “A Whore´s Whim” (a tribute to Jack The Ripper), are today classics of the band. The drummer of this demo only rehearsed for just 1 month before the recordings since not long ago a line-up change happened. Singer Maligner was out of the band so Drizzt and Vanth took charge of the vocals during the first tour over Spain which finished with a concert with Immortal in Madrid. The Collage inside is a homage to all those persons who supported us during that tour. Friends and comrades who helped to forge the roots of the band. I can be found newspaper fragments featuring some events happened during the tour, such as some churches burning in Spain and graveyard desecrations chanting “I spit on your beliefs”.The band gained attention because at the beginning of their concerts a statue of a virgin was destroyed with a double axe. These and other moments are the ones which those devotees of the old and true feeling of the cursed ones treasure. Always we are here, the black flame will burn in the skies forever!! Black Metal Resistance!!

GRAVE GNOSIS - INTERVIEW

We could say that the origins of Grave Gnosis go back to 2005 at the hands of the band Nahemoth, what happened in Nahemoth to change its name to Grave Gnosis? Is there an important change in terms of style and concept between the two bands?

Grave Gnosis: Nahemoth was, and still is, the solo expression of our front man, Ø. It did not truly follow any strict concept of genre or direction. It was simply exploration and expression. Grave Gnosis, on the other hand, is the focused Will of multiple practitioners of the Occult arts. Pure in purpose and desire, and very strict on presentation and execution.

How did the birth of Grave Gnosis occur? Why did you choose the name Grave Gnosis, what did it refer to and how is it related to the band?

Grave Gnosis: The band truly came to be after a few years of the three main members (Vikzaru, Nova, and Ø) collaborating and working together outside of music. The results of this magickal collaboration was translated into music, and when we realized the depth of what was being done, we all felt no choice but to follow this new and sinister path wherever it may lead.

Discussions of philosophy and metaphysics led to a conversation of impermanence and the beauty of Death. The name has multiple meanings, all intrinsic to the nature of the band. Gnosis can be understood as a process or sometimes sudden understanding that is so deep that it changes the nature of one’s perception and means of interacting with reality itself. Gnosis can also be understood as a state of mind similar to a trance, wherein divine knowledge is passed down from one’s deity. This state is also very key to the process and methods of magick. Of course then, ‘Grave’ in English can be representative of Death, but also of the severity of a concept or event. Thus, we can say that the Gnosis of Death an experience so intense that it changes the nature of reality.

What main differences can we find as listeners between your previous “Birthing” (2015) and your most recent “Lux Nigredo” (2021) and also how has your way of composing and recording songs evolved over the years?

Grave Gnosis: On the surface level, the sound is much more refined, yet also much more diverse. We tend to find our place in the merging and mingling of opposites. This is true in our philosophy as well as our sound. Thus, we do our best to balance the raw and terrifying with the clean and beautiful. Over the years, we have certainly become more proficient at this. I would say that learning to play additional instruments that may not even be used in the album, or listening to music of many genres has helped us to round out our understanding of how sound works. We often don't necessarily compose individual pieces based off the standard conceptions of song, but of how the mind interprets sound, particularly when tones conflict. We are continually finding new ways to explore this.

Unlike other bands that prioritize music over the lyrical content of their work, in “Lux Nigredo" you have composed an album around a conceptual story written by yourself. How did you face this whole process of writing and composing the new album? What brands of instruments do you use for the entire recording and composition process?

Grave Gnosis: We approached the composition, as you said, by starting thematically. Concept came first, and then lyrics were formulated through gematria and associative magickal practice. From there, the rotations of planets and stars traditionally associated with these concepts and lyrics were converted into audible frequencies, from which scales, tempo, and interval timing were calculated.

We used a Yamaha keyboard, Ibanez Guitar and Bass, with Behringer amps, and a mix of Boss and TC Electronics pedals. The other instruments were from session musicians, so you would have to ask them for specifics.

In the album there are also specific collaborations by other musicians that enrich the sound of the album and open it up to different styles. How did the possibility of these collaborations arise and in what way do you think they have helped to define the sound of the album?

Grave Gnosis: In circumstances of the guest and session members such as Cello, Saxophone, Guest Vocals, and the ambient noise and textures heard on the album, the collaboration came about due to magickal connection, first and foremost. We connected due to our spiritual directions and similarities of purpose. The collaboration thus became more of a necessity.

Although the bulk of the album's sound can be defined in a fairly simple way as atmospheric black, it is no less true that “Lux Nigredo” also offers raw elements or melodic death, all of this in the hands of an album of equal length. than the previous “Birthing”, what sounds and bands have been an influence when defining your musical proposal? How would you define the sound of the album for those who have not yet heard it?

Grave Gnosis: Some of the biggest influences in regards to bands that shaped our means of expression are quite various. Some, like Akercocke, Nightbringer, and Dark Fortress, are more obvious. Others, like Katatonia, The Devil’s Blood, and Dir En Grey, are likely not so obvious to those who haven’t really had much time with these bands to compare.

For those who have not heard the album, I would describe the album as Psychedelic Occult Metal.

What themes do you deal with in your lyrics? Who wrote them? What meaning does a concept like orthodox black metal have for you? What feelings do you intend to convey to the listener with your music?

Grave Gnosis: The lyrics were written by Ø, the main vocalist and composer of the music. Thematically, they follow our work within the Occult, and present themselves as expressions of magickal formula, Theistic Satanism, and the worship of Death.

Orthodox Black Metal is something of a standard for us. To us, Orthodoxy in Black Metal is not about sound, but about true Devotion to Satan. To brand something as Orthodox Black Metal is to say that, no matter the personality behind the music, it was made with utmost malice and sinister fire that can only be expressed by those truly embodying the bloodline of the Serpent.

There's a great many complicated emotions and feelings we would like our listeners to experience. It depends upon the piece, and the intent behind the selection. Sometimes it is best for people to be confused, to react with fear, disgust, or an indescribable aversion. Other times, sadness, nostalgia, weightlessness in relief. All of this is a means to an end, however. Above all, we want people to feel what it's like to have their Ego stripped from their soul.

For the release of your latest album you have the support of Vargheist Records, how is contact with Vargheist Records produced? Do you consider it to be a step forward in terms of promotion and repercussion with respect to what happened with the self-release of "Birthing" ?

Grave Gnosis: We would definitely consider this to be a step forward, but there is always better, and always further. We do not intend to slow or stagnate. We are never satisfied.

Who designed the cover for “Lux Nigredo”? What is reflected on this cover and how does it relate to the music?

Grave Gnosis: The cover was painted by a tattoo artists and dear friend of ours, Ken Dean. In trance he painted these four images of the Thrones. The cover specifically depicts Leviathan, the serpentine deity of the oceanic depths. Conceptually, this matches the emotional tone and depth of the album, but it also specifically relates to the core of our spiritual beliefs as they are portrayed in the album. I won’t go in to specifics, as this is something that must be experienced, and cannot be so easily described.

"Lux Nigredo" has been released in the middle of a period of confinement, what did this period of forced confinement mean for the band? Has the impossibility of offering concerts and the consequent lack of contact with your fans been a major setback for you?

Grave Gnosis: The pandemic conditions did not truly affect the writing, but certainly the release. The inability to do shows has certainly changed a few of our plans as far as presentation, but the biggest damper in our plan was actually the issues we experienced in the actual printing and reproduction. There was a time during the pandemic when printing plants and labels were being extremely cautious, some not even releasing anything at all. So we had to adjust our timeframes for the release. In the meantime, we continued work on other releases that have yet to be announced.

In the past you took the band's proposal to live, how important is it for you to be able to offer a concert? Is it very difficult to bring the richness and nuances of the band's sound to the live show?

Grave Gnosis: The live experience is integral to the magickal aspects of Grave Gnosis. There are things that cannot be captured in recording, due to the nature of the live setting, and of sound itself. The issue is not replicating the recording on a stage, but in replicating the entrancing and overwhelming energy that is conveyed through our live rituals in a recording. This is why we include so much more in the way of layering and textures. It's the only way to accurately convey what occurs when you are surrounded by the putrescent essence of our gods, and open your mind to them.

You come from Florida which is always more related to the death metal scene, is it very difficult for a black metal band to get ahead in your area? How do you see the black metal scene in Florida?

Grave Gnosis: It is very difficult for a Black Metal band to do much of anything in Florida. This is part of why we use session members from out of state so much. Black Metal is simply not understood here. There are a few bands that pop up here and there, but most of those are closer to Death Metal in actual sound. Still, there are some that carry the Fire within them, such as Merciless Scum, and Led by Serpents, and that is what is important. I would much rather see a small handful of truly dangerous and devoted acts than a horde of mundane fools driven purely by aesthetics.

Which album defines for you the essence of black metal? What last albums have you bought?

Grave Gnosis: There are a great deal of albums that define the essence of Black Metal. That's why it's continued past the 90's. If it was so limited, it would have died and been a relic of the past. But no, we have a great number who capture and convey this Fire over the years. There are too many to name, but I would mention Precaria, Haggathorn, Maha Pralaya, and Atroce as a few of the newer bands that bare this Fire proudly.

Being in a band, we have a lot of compatriots trading albums. Most of our collections have come from trades with people we play with or connect with online due to similarities in purpose. However, the last album we legitimately purchased was Nixil: All Knots Untied. Very good album. Not necessarily traditional Black Metal, but very much carries a core of genuine Occultism.

How were your beginnings in music: first albums you bought, first concerts you attended, etc. What did you do in your life, did you decide to start playing an instrument?

Grave Gnosis: My father is a musician, so I grew up around a guitar. I learned piano when I was young, and was gifted my first guitar at 15. From there, I immediately started learning songs from Opeth, Nile, Behemoth, and Cannibal Corpse. Some of the biggest metal bands I knew at the time. I very quickly decided to start making my own music, but wasn't very good at it, so I abandoned traditional music composition in favor of Doom, Experimental Noise, and Ambient Drone.

There are a lot of significant firsts when it comes to metal for me. I was raised in a very strict Christian household, so I had to hide any music I brought home. I remember the first metal album I bought was by a band called ZAO, which was a Christian band at the time, but it opened up a great deal of the musical world for me. However, when I was 16 and could finally drive myself around town, I skipped class one day and went to a record store that has at this point not existed for about 10 years. I bought a few albums by bands I had at the time never heard of before, purely because the cover art and names sounded like they would shock and disgust my family, like any rebellious teenager would. I ended up getting Cradle of Filth: The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, and Gorgoroth: Under the Sign of Hell.

-Ø

What more immediate future plans do you have for the band, in terms of upcoming releases, concerts, reissues, etc?

Grave Gnosis: The pandemic still has a great number of people too cautious to start playing or going to shows yet, so we are biding our time on this front. Once the time is right, we will come forward again. Until then, we have been working on third album, Pestilence Crowned, titled such long before the pandemic so the theme and name is purely coincidental. It's in the recording phase finally, but has been slow progressing as members are adjusting to current conditions. As well, we have about four different split EPs and a live album awaiting the right time to release.

Thank you very much for the time dedicated to Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for Grave Gnosis the place. I hope the questions have been to your liking.

Grave Gnosis: Thank you for the time and opportunity.

Let the Words of Creation Fall Silent within your mind, and embrace Death as the Truth above the Lie of Life.

Hail Satan, Hail Moloch, Hail Tiamat

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Sauron ‎– The Land of Dead Sun (vinyl limited to 200 copies.) 27,99 €

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ALKERDEEL - INTERVIEW

1. The band has been active since 2005, what led you to create Alkerdeel? Why did you choose the name Alkerdeel and what does it refer to?

I used to edit a fanzine called Noise Magazine at turn of the millenium, with one of my closest friends, Peter – who’s now in charge of the online radio show De Pankraker (He who crushes skull – derived from a Lugubrum song). I was fed up with critising bands and wanted to contribute in a more active way to the local scene. Back at that time I used to have a big car and drove my friends who played in bands to shows. Those line-ups consisted mostly out of death metal,  metalcore bands, and some sparse melodic or third rate Marduk influenced black metal bands. I loathed all of that. My interest was in rawer stuff, second wave black metal such as Beherit or Ildjarn, sludge bands as Eyehategod, Burning Wich, Corrupted and electronic noise. None of that was to be heard on the stages and it frustrated the hell out of me. Exception to this was Thee Plague Of Gentlemen, a local doom band, that had QW as a bass player. QW and I were in the same circle, frequenting a famous bar, called The Frontline, a lot. All bands, from Aeternus to Iron Monkey, played there. Although I knew him already from school and the tape trading circuit, that’s were we got to know Pui and Nieke (guitarist and drummer) better, they were playing a death metal band called Headmeat, that were signed to Killjoy’s Baphomet label. 

Pui had an even more eclectic taste of music, and we decided to start jamming with only one rule: mixing Ildjarn and Eyehategod. That must have been 2005 – and that time, the project was called Dark Torre (a nod to Darkthrone, it means “dark fart”. Yes – a rather high humoristic level). We played long improv jams, all quite primitive, Nieke – who had never touched a drumkit before – hitting a rusty, assembled kit. Unique garage days, with the lawnmower and other garden tools as silent witnesses. Our ambition equalled almost zero, except from producing noise in that rehearsal garage. A local promotor heard about our activities and asked if we were interested in playing a set that consisted out of some kind of Darkthrone medley and improvised sludge riffs. 99% of the audience didn’t had a clue what they saw, it was so raw and primitive, full of feedback and utter darkness. We got superlative feedback from the only few who got it, such as the guys from Sylvester Anfang, and asked if the could release a demo on their Funeral Folk label. As everything became a bit more serious, and we decided to change the name to Alkerdeel. That tape made some buzz in the underground and ended up on the desk of At War With False Noise in Scotland. We were only a three piece back then, only guitar, drum and vocals, and invited QW to step in on bass. Alkerdeel is an old dialect word for shit dispencer or manure tank. We have quite an interest in old dialect words and since our rehearsal space was located in rural area it was the perfect name.

2. With a trajectory of more than a decade and a half, it seems that with your most recent “Slonk” (2021), you have incorporated some new elements to your proposal such as more atmospheric sounds. Are you aware of this evolution in your sound? modified with respect to “Lede” (2016)? What brands of instruments did you use for the composition and recording of the album?

Actually, the influences that are more upfront now in ‘Slonk’ have always been present since the early beginnings, but in some way they are more pronounced than ever. It might have something to do with touring with Turia, from the Netherlands. However they will probably cite other influences, they remind me a lot to bands like Forgotten Woods and Fleurety, and as we played together a lot during the writing of ‘Slonk’, it might be the reason why we embraced those influences. I say might, as our intention was actually to write a very slow and heavy album, while it turned out to be fast and atmospheric. 

QW, our bass player, plays a Fender Jazz bass and uses an SVT classic Amp with two Ampeg cabs: a 4 x 10 and a 1x15. Pui, the guitarist, plays a Gibson Les Paul standard and uses a custom Driftwood Purple Nightmare amp with a Carlsbro oversized cab dating back from 1974 with Greenback speakers. This setup explains our unique and foremost heavy and warm sound. We always carry these with us to gigs, even though if the venue has a full backline avaible. Our sound can’t be reproduced with regular material. It also attracks quite a lot of attention from other interested musicians, haha.

We have always recorded live, in as few takes as possible. The studio we record in since the split with Gnaw Their Tongues, called Bomastudio in Ghent, is perfectly equiped with gear for that. The producer, Fré Segers, has a background in jazz and psychedelic bands and is specialized in live studio recordings. For ‘Slonk’ we used some close micing and two room/overheads, all sent through an analogue desk yet mixed digitally. 

3. Returning a little to the weight of the atmospheres in your new album, these are already very present at the beginning of the album with the intro of the song "Vier". How did the idea of ​​working with Stadt to make this collaboration come up? Do you think this new facet in your music has contributed to the final sound of the album?

We have a long background with the members of Stadt. Actually, their guitar player is Fré, our producer. Since I shared a living space with his brother for many years, we have helped eachother out since the earliest beginnings. They share a similar DIY attitude and we shared services a lot, in the way I designed many of their record covers and as a return Fré recorded our music. The in- and outros for our albums have always been composed by our good friend Maurice from Gnaw Their Tongues, however as we noticed the material for ‘Slonk’ evolved to a more atmospheric sound, we needed something different and there entered Stadt. As these guys are multi talented, with a huge interest in kraut, psychedelics and jazz, we knew they could do the job. They got total freedom, however asked for some references: we gave them Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Where Here’, Klaus Schulze, Neptune Towers and Jiri Wehle, a street musician from Prague. As most of our music was already written, it didn’t really influence the songs, but it does influence the perception of the album as a whole indeed. To us, this is a classic intro in the tradition of In The Woods ... ‘He(art) of the Ages’ or Satyricon’s ‘Dark Medieval Times’. 

4. We could talk about influences from surrealism or aspects related to the rural world in your new album, as a confluence of what is offered by bands like Lugubrum or Gnaw Their Tongues that mix those experimental, raw and folk influences from the Netherlands in a very Personally, how would you define the sound of the new album for those who have not yet heard it? What bands have influenced you when composing this “Slonk”?

It would be very cheap to deny the influence of Lugubrum to our band. We’re long time fans, and may call them friends. They’re totally unique and evolved from a rader traditional black metal band to an eclectic, weird and experimental outfit. They showed that there are no limits and that being influenced doesn’t mean being a copycat. Our well of influences is neverending, we have never been limited to black metal exclusively, if the early beginnings were based on mixing sludge, black metal and noise, we embraced death metal, doom, crust, postpunk, ambient, folk and even hiphop. We blend everything in a similar way to surrealism. What you think you hear, might be different from what we’re actually playing.

Although we do use rural elements in our design – hell, the band name means “Manure Tank’ – it shouldn’t be confused with Lugubrum’s brown metal or ‘boersk blek metl’ (farmer black metal). That’s their thing, not ours. As we all live on the countryside, it ofcourse had it’s influence, however there are as much urban or unearthly elements present too.

Working with Maurice from Gnaw Their Tongue on Dyo Dyo Asema was an eye-opener for the band. We realised we shouldn’t stick to the initial formula of mixing black and sludge, that we could do whatever we wanted.

When writing the lyrics for ‘Slonk’ and designing the artwork, I was listening a lot to Lonndom’s ‘Falen Fran Norr’. It was autumn/winter and definately left its mark. Bands that directly influenced ‘Slonk’ are Blut Aus Nord, Archgoat, Hädänfärd, Invunche, Tulus, Witches Brew, Turia and Ancient.

5. However, your beginnings with “Luizig” (2007) are much darker, at that time you were not disgusted by influences from second wave black metal, blues, noise, hip-hop, death and many underground sounds of unknown bands, what remains today of the essence of the band from that time?

Think my answers from the previous question already gave an insight. Think the essence of the band when we started is still present, yet not limited to the idea of sound. The very essence is that we play the music we want to hear ourselves.

6. Another aspect of that search for your more folk roots (let's call it that), is the illustration of the album that contains four animals present in the area where you live, at the same time that it is also the first time that you include the lyrics of the songs. The idea of ​​the album design came up and the possibility of working for it with Luchtrat? How important have the texts been in the new album when dealing with the composition of the album?

Luchtrat is the pseudonym I use for all my design – actually, it was the original name for my DIY label I used to release music with. The concept of the artwork and the lyrics have 100% the same basis, being the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. These elements are the basic elements of alchemy. Mankind have always searched for answers, often found in religion, thus godly answers. However in medieval times, alchemists were looking for scientific answers. One of them, John Dee, was said to be spoken to by angels. He wrote down their language, called The Enochian Key. Visually, something like Hebrew comes close. Each letter has it’s own value, color and chemical element. This alphabet became the basis for the sigyls you see in the artwork of ‘Slonk’. Each song title, lyric, animal and photographs refers to one of the basic elements. However, how it’s interpreted or presented is totally different and even very hard for an outsider to understand. Here surrealism enters again. What you think you see is not necessarily what it means. Not only the lyrics are written in an old dialect, also the construction is very abstract. There’s also lot of easter eggs hidden in the artwork. Nods to other bands, f.e. the abandonned shed you see is a hommage to Borknagar’s debut album. 

7. How were your beginnings in music: first concerts you attend, first albums you buy ... What did you do in your lives that made you want to be musicians?

Here I can only speak for myself: the first music I heard was blues or seventies hardrock such as Led Zeppeling, music my dad loved. I must have been 10 or 11 when my mom announced she was going to a market and my brother and I asked of she’d buy a cassette for us. We gave two options: AC/DC ‘The Razor’s Edge’ and some newbeat project. At that age there weren’t any genre limits. She returned with AC/DC and that tape was the only one blasting through my mono record player for more than a year. I started dubbing the vinyls of my older cousin, who listened to Iron Maiden and Danzig – he actually give me his ‘Life After Death’ copy. Cd’s only came later. I do not really remember my first cd though, it must have been an Iron Maiden bootleg, My Dying Bride’s ‘Angel And The Dark River’ or Paradise Lost’s ‘Lost Paradise / Gothic’ combi release box. In the same period, I was hanging out with a friend that was more into alternative music, such as Smashing Pumpkins and stuff, and he was disgusted with those guttural vocals from the music I listened to. One day, he insisted me to listen to a tape he got from his brother, who was dating a girl who’s brother was into obscure stuff. The tape mentioned only “Unholy Black Metal”, no bandname. I didn’t really understand what I heard, my interpretation was something like satanic punk. I answered “not really” to his question if I liked it, followed by “May I take it at home?”. For more than a year I didn’t know what band it was, until finding out it was Darkthrone. Then everything went very quick, the few money I had went to bying music and except from one local guy, I didn’t know anybody into this kind of music. I was 14-15 so to young to attend bars and meet people. That guy was Peter, the same one I talk about before, from De Pankraker radio show. He was one year older, and attended the same school since kindergarten. We thought he was a dickhead and he tought of me similar. Until we crossed in the street one day, and he was sporting a Rotting Christ shirt. No more words needed. He introduced me into tape trading and that’s how I got to know a lot of people, of whom I still in contact with to this very day. One of the guys from Terzij De Horde/Nihill from The Netherlands, Jelle Agema, for example, I shared tapes with. Peter and I wanted to contribute to the scene and started a fanzine, called Noise Magazine. We only released two copies before, inspired by the internet boom, going online. The bands we interview already showed the eclectic range of music, that also influenced Alkerdeel. We published articles with bands like Burning Witch, Graveland, ThirdEyeFoundation, Joyless, Satyricon, Primordial, GodspeedYouBlackEmperor etc. After a while I got bored by reviewing bands – here we come full circle, that explained in the first question of this interview.

8. Consouling Sounds and Babylon Doom Cult Records have taken care of the vinyl and cd edition of the new album? How did the possibility of working with them come about? Are you satisfied with the promotion and editing work by both record labels? importance do you give to the possibility of offering your music in physical format?

Consouling Sounds have been our label since ‘Morinde’ in 2012, and are the reason why we can offer such amazing releases in physical formats. How crazy our questions might be, they always try to realise what we’re asking. Where can you find that? Also, they have/had bands like Amenra/Wiegedood/Jozef Van Wissem etc. on their roster, quite some known names we can benefit a lot from. However, they operate mostly in the post-metal field, and since we’re a bit more rough and obscure, we sought for a way to get in the attention of more traditional extreme metal fans. As Babylon Doom Cult is operating more in that field, and the owner not only a big fan since our beginnings, but since then also a good friend, we asked if they were open for a co-release. We never got as much attention as we had with ‘Slonk’, the reviews were stellar, and when having the album in full glory in my hands, I can’t thank both labels enough for their efforts and energy.

9. "Slonk" (2021) has been composed and released in full confinement due to Covid-19, how do you think this situation has affected the final result of the album? How did you deal with not being able to offer concerts and the consequent lack of contact with your fans?

Covid-19 only influenced the recording process, the album was already written before the pandemic struck. The initial studio date was scheduled two weeks after what happened to be the beginning of the lockdown so we had to reschedule. As no-one had any idea of how severe all this would be, we planned a weekend mid-summer. A good choice as there was this kind of plateau in summer after which infection numbers went sky high ending up in a lockdown that lasted until a couple of weeks ago.

I will not minimalise the quality of the music, but I’m of the impression that the lockdown and people being bored at home contributed to the amazing acception of the album. The whole music business was flat, but there was a lot of online activity, with people supporting bands. We received a lot of attention so I’m convinced it was a perfect timing to release an album, although it was unintentional, we postponed the initial release date with more than half a year, but as it wasn’t made public, nobody knew. Glad we could find a new date for the release gig with Ved Buens Ende and Lubbert Das, as that’s a line-up we never counted for possible.

10. How do you see the Belgian black metal scene over the years that you were present with Alkerddeel and how would you describe it? Do you think there is a strong connection, almost a scene, between bands from Belgium and Holland, for example, in terms of a similar and very recognizable sound and proposal?

I always find it hard to speak about a scene in Belgium, let alone a musical connection with bands from The Netherlands. We’ve had some famous bands such as Ancient Rites, Enthroned, Paragon Impure of Verloren, but to call this a scene wouldn’t do reality justice. There have always been plenty opportunities to meet people though or see gigs. Metallysee, a famous booker (the Sadistik Execution gigs in Europe, the footage of that infamous Youtube documentary about black metal in Belgium was also on one of their events) was based in Belgium, the Frontline in Ghent, Biebod in Eastern Belgium, With Dragons Blaze Festival etc. we can’t complain about the activity though. Alkerdeel has always worked independently, in contrast to scene that’s build around Amenra – The Church Of Ra. That’s something that comes closest to my idea of a scene, but we’re not a part of it, although we’ve played with them before, on their events. But ofcourse we’re connected to people and bands, that we work together with or support. In Belgium: Lugubrum, Witch Trail, Hemelbestormer, Moenen Of Xezbeth, Perverted Ceremony, Apovrasma ... as the closest, in The Netherlands I should mention the people behind Haeresis Noviomagi (Turia, Lubbert Das ...), Nihill, Gnaw Their Tongues and many individuals of the underground scene. The Netherlands have always been very welcome to us and one of the earliest to offer us a stage, thinking Aurora Infernalis, Roadburn, Incubate, Baroeg and little Devil (legendary clubs) ... Going back to the Belgian scene, I should mention that there’s more happening than ten years ago: Medieval Prophecy from Wallonia (french spoken part of Belgium) is releasing super interesting music, also Gramschap and Haunted By Ill Angels are labels to check!

11. Which album represents for you the essence of black metal? What last albums have you bought?

Darkthrone’s ‘A Blaze In The Northern Sky’ and Beherit’s ‘Drawing Down The Moon’ are to me the most essential black metal releases. ‘A Blaze’ because it was my first encounter with the genre and also, there’s no denying, that’s the most important black metal album for the Norwegian scene. Beherit because it’s totally misunderstood and underestimated. People mostly refer to Beherit for it’s savage nature, but to me, this is one of the most psychedelic black metal albums ever. Latest I’ve bought were the rerelease of Poccolus (an old cult band – think Forgotten Woods meets Graveland with influences of Baltic folk), the Satyricon reissues of ‘Dark Medieval Times’ and ‘The Shadowthrone’ and the rerelease of ‘Those Who Carress The Pale’ of Ved Buens Ende, the only band I buy every single version of each release of.

12. The edition of “Slonk” (2021) is still very recent but you are already thinking about new songs with a view to an upcoming album? Have you already thought about the possibility of offering some concerts?

Due to the lockdown we couldn’t come together to rehearse as a band, however the drummer and guitar player manage to play quite regularly and some early hints for new music is already there. We can finally reveal some new gigs, there’s this major festival called Alcatraz in summer that invited us, and some gigs in autumn, such as the release gig for Hemelbestormer’s new album with Ultha and Sun Worship. We hope to play abroad next year again, never been to Spain with the band, so if some promotor’s read this, we’d love to come over. 

13. Thank you very much for the time dedicated to Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for Alkerdeel the place. I hope the questions have been to your liking.

Thanks a lot for the interview! The questions allowed to go in depth, which is much appreciated! 

Pede  

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