NAZGHOR - INTERVIEW

 

1. Nazghor started around 2012. What led you to want to create the band? Why did you choose the name Nazghor, and what does it refer to?

Nekhrid: I wanted to create something raw, yet melodic and Armageddor wanted the same. We met and exchanged ideas. The whole project was created by the end of 2012. The name Nazghor is our own designation for a concept of supreme darkness that we embrace and explore through our work. It is not borrowed or inherited. 

2. In its early days, the band maintained a high release rate, which has slowed down considerably lately, in addition to some lineup changes. What explains this radical change in the release schedule? How have Fáunas and Galthran integrated into the group's dynamic?

Nekhrid: We moved straight from one project to the next, even after finishing and recording each album. There was never really a pause for us. At the time, we had a huge collection of unreleased songs and rough demos that we didn’t want to waste. As for Fáunas and Galthran, they came into the picture at exactly the right moment. They helped shape the legion we are today and they fit perfectly into the group, both musically and personally.

3. Your eighth album, "A World Ablaze," is about to be released, almost four years after the previous one. How do you think the band's sound has evolved between the two releases? What was the songwriting and recording process like for the new album? What brands of instruments did you use?

Nekhrid: We’ve developed a darker, more ominous sound with greater depth, where the melodies feel woven into something heavier and more menacing. Since AWA was built around older songs as a foundation, we revisited those tracks, explored different sounds, and introduced new ideas to shape the direction of the new record. The recording process moved very quickly because all the tracks were already fully prepared.

4. In many ways, “A World Ablaze” is an album that maintains the essence of its predecessors: a black metal sound with clear references to the Swedish tradition, direct and raw, but also incorporating sections that venture into melodic territory. Ultimately, the listener can enjoy an album with a purely classic sound. How did you decide on the sound of this new album? What bands or styles have inspired you?

Nekhrid: From the very beginning, we had a clear vision of the direction we wanted to pursue and the goal we aimed to achieve. The sound of the new album was largely inspired by our previous releases, but this time we pushed it further, giving it a darker and more sinister edge.

5. You have always maintained an anti-religious and satanic theme in your lyrics. Where does the inspiration for these lyrics come from? Is this an inherent theme of black metal? Does the music adapt to the lyrics, or vice versa?

Nekhrid: The lyrics are shaped by the philosophy that defines Nazghor. The darkness we evoke along with the intense, shadowed atmosphere of our live performances, symbolizes a profound sense of liberation from the religious world. Lyrics are added to specific songs based on how well they fit. Interpreting what we want to communicate is a matter of feeling and adaptation to the rhythm and the melodies.

6. The German record label Solistitium Records will be releasing the new album. When did you decide to join forces for the album's release? Why the change of record label?

Nekhrid: The partnership with the Solistitium was an opportunity we simply feel connected with. Our project aligns perfectly with the label’s vision and with the future of our band. To them, Nazghor is not just another band, it’s an unstoppable force we all believe in and want to see rise and conquer. A World Ablaze is only the beginning.

7. The album was mixed and mastered at Pentagram Studios. What do you think working with them contributed to the final sound of the album? Why did you decide to work with them?

Nekhrid: We worked with Pentagram Studios once before with ‘Seventh Secular Crusade’. We were very satisfied with their work and we wanted to do the same for A World Ablaze.

8. Your album covers have always had a theme of death and desolation, something that can also be inferred from the cover of the new album, this time created by PLETER. What does the cover represent, and how does it relate to the album's content?

Nekhrid: Like the great blaze of 1702, an intense and overwhelming fire that engulfed an entire city so quickly that resistance became impossible, A World Ablaze is meant to consume everything in its path. This album stands as our greatest battle call. This is what the cover art represents.

9. As I mentioned earlier, your sound is a true reflection of the purest Swedish black metal tradition. How would you describe the current Swedish black metal scene? What do you think has been lost compared to the past? What is the extreme metal scene like in a city like Uppsala?

Nekhrid: It’s not easy to draw a direct comparison between today’s black metal scene and that of the 1990s. The landscape has changed significantly, especially with the rise of the digital world, which has completely transformed how music is distributed and discovered.

Live performances have also evolved. Concerts today tend to be more regulated, with organizers operating under stricter guidelines and policies. As a result, bands within this genre often face more limitations in their artistic choices. In some cases, there are explicit bans on the use of elements such as animal carcasses or blood during performances, which further shapes how shows are presented compared to the past. There is no exception in Uppsala.

10. What can your fans expect from the live presentation of the new album? What dates do you have confirmed for this year?

Nekhrid: We are doing a couple of shows in Sweden before heading to Romania for the “Underground for the Masses” festival by the end of April. We are doing some festivals in Sweden in the summer.

11. How did you get started in music: the first concerts you attended, the first albums you bought? What event in your lives pushed you to want to become musicians?

Nekhrid: Speaking for myself, growing up in South America meant that thrash metal was my gateway into extreme music. However, it wasn’t until I relocated to Sweden in the early ’90s that I was truly exposed to the Gothenburg sound, the Stockholm HM-2 sound, and eventually black metal. That period had a huge impact on me, it was then that the idea of becoming a musician first started to take shape.

I can’t recall the very first album I ever bought, but I do remember picking up Tusen år har gått by Mörk Gryning.

12. Which album represents the essence of black metal for you? What are the most recent albums you've bought?

Nekhrid: The most important album for bands playing melodic black metal is of course The Somberlain. I haven’t bought physical albums for years; the latest one I got both as CD and vinyl was Iron Maiden’s “Senjutsu”.

13. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit. If you'd like to add anything for Nazghor's fans, this is the place. I hope you enjoy the questions.

Nekrid: I want to thank every one of them. Their support is massive and we will keep doing what we do.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blakk Old Blood, Black Devotion ‎– Blakk Old Blood / Black Devotion 5,99 €

Vinyl, 7", Limited Edition, Numbered

MISERERE LUMINIS

 

Origen: Canadá, Montreal.

Formados: 2008

Estilo: Black atmosférico

Temática: Oscuridad y tristeza.

Enlaces: Bandcamp, deezer, facebook, instagram, Mmiserere luminis, spotify y youtube.

Miembros:

• Annatar Guitarra y voces
• Icare Batería y voces
• Neptune Bajo y guitarra

Discografía:

• Miserere Luminis CD 2009
• Ordalie CD 2023
• De cris & de cendres Single 2025  
• Aux bras des vagues & des vomissures Single 2026  
• Sidera CD 2026

SIDERA (2026)

"Sidera" es la tercera entrega para los canadienses Miserere Luminis, banda que se ha mantenido fiel a su estilo desde su formación y que parece haber encontrado un sonido definitorio después de lo expuesto en su anterior "Ordalie"(2023). Digo esto último por que los cinco temas que conforman este nuevo álbum están alejados de cualquier convencionalismo y sus extensa dimensión permite a la banda expresarse más allá de una faceta meramente musical, logrando traspasar la frontera de la emotividad e impregnarnos con su melancolía y tristeza. Un álbum de un sonido cuidado y trabajado, en donde cada tema permite disfrutar de un ambiente inmersivo, en donde la tristeza lo impregna todo, con un trabajo solvente en arreglos de teclado que sirven para vestir la obra de una patina de engañosa accesibilidad, que se torna en una ambientación mucho más oscura y distante cuando la instrumentación descarga toda su rabia en forma de poderosos blast-beat y contundente riffs, sin que sea un impedimento para que esa linea entre oscura y melancólica de teclados vaya trabajando en un segundo plano una ambientación ciertamente conmovedora, como conmovedoras también son las voces, ofreciendo un ejercicio de oscuridad y una dosis extra de rabia y melancolía, perfectamente combinadas, fusionándose todo en una propuesta que logra sonar directa, atmosférica, emotiva, oscura y melancólica en todas sus vertientes. Misererere Luminis sabe trabajar las intensidad, sabe trasmitir toda la rabia y oscuridad en cada nota de sus canciones y el resultado no es otro que un álbum que socava nuestro estado de ánimo hasta la oscuridad y la tristeza infinita. (8,4).

Debemur Morti Productions

1. Les fleurs de l’exil 08:48  

2. De cris & de cendres 11:41   

3. Aux bras des vagues & des vomissures 09:40  

4. À la douleur de l’aube 12:08  

5. Dans la voie de nos lumières 08:30  

  50:47

Forbidden Citadel Of Spirits ‎– Collection III 49,99 €

2 × Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Limited Edition

PROFANE ELEGY - INTERVIEW

 

1. The band started around 2021. What led you to create the band? Why did you choose the name Profane Elegy, and what does it refer to?

Mikael: I was at the point in my life where I finally had time to focus on creating music again and so I was looking for someone with a similar taste and interest. Our name incorporates two recurring themes in our music. 'Profane' meaning unholy and 'Elegy' meaning a sorrowful song. You could say it is our ethos.

J. Gulick: I was looking to start a new music project that was specifically more Black Metal oriented. I think for me my aim was to puit together a band that was equally melodic yet aggressive and dark. I put up an ad looking for members online and came across Mikael, and then found a session drummer to help compose ‘When All Is Nothing’.  Then after the release of ‘When All is Nothing’ we gathered a full lineup.

2. In 2023, you released your first EP, "When All Is Nothing." Three years later, you followed it up with your first album, "Herezjarcha." Have you been immersed in composing the new album for these three years? What was the songwriting and recording process like for "Herezjarcha"? What brands of instruments did you use in the process?

Mikael: I probably spent around 2 years writing and recording after our first release. 

J. Gulick:  I believe Herezjarcha took around 6 months or so of me writing weekly, trial and erroring ideas, etc. Before we released Herezjarcha, we actually had 14 songs done and the drums finished in the studio, but decided 14 songs would be too much of an immediate expense, including the thought of having to do a double Vinyl instead of one. What’s left unrecorded will be on our follow up álbum. 

3. The new album maintains a similar musical tone to your first EP; however, there is a greater focus and quality to the music, as well as a greater exploration of that unique facet of your sound: the violence and blending of styles, such as black and death metal, progressive touches, and occasionally clean vocals that create a striking contrast. How would you describe the album's sound to someone who hasn't heard it yet? What bands or styles inspired you to compose "Herezjarcha"?

Mikael: The simplest way I could put it would be a combination of black/death/doom metal. I think all 3 of those are significantly represented across the album. Swallow the Sun and Woods of Ypres comes to mind for comparisons on genre blending. Particularly their more black metal leaning songs.

J. Gulick: When I wrote this album, I didn’t necessarily think of immersing myself in certain styles or pulling influence from bands directly.  I went along with a natural progression with what i thought worked with each song, having a beginning/middle/end, etc.  The style definitely branched out from ‘When All Is Nothing’ being mostly Black Metal dominated to this one being a Black/Death/Doom hybrid.  I even took a more Black/Thrash approach found in bands from the late 90’s/early 2000’s and more of those songs will also be heard on Album 3. A couple of the songs had a more Melodic Death approach as well as a more Progressive tinged direction then the previous.  There are entirely too many bands to name that I took an influence from, but I may eventually namedrop bands and specific albums. My influences with Profane Elegy start from mainly 2nd wave Black Metal, to tinges of 1st wave Black and Death, Doom, early Melodic Death and some Progressive/Rock/Metal. 

4. The themes of your lyrics seem to revolve around life and death. Could you elaborate a bit more on this? What motivates you to explore these themes? How is this task divided between Josh and Michael? Do the lyrics adapt to the music, or vice versa?

Mikael: I write all the lyrics. Death is definitely a common recurring theme in our music. It’s the sword of Damocles hanging over all our heads and I think it’s important that we explore it to come to terms with it before the moment we depart. The Romans had the concept of memento mori which means ‘remember you will die’, I believe in that mentality and these songs about death are a form of memento mori for myself and the listeners. I believe Confronting these uncomfortable truths can bring peace and help one live well.

5. Just like with the EP, the album will be self-released. Was this something you planned from the beginning, maintaining this control over your music? Are there any offers or possibilities of releasing it in physical format with a record label?

Mikael: our mentality is independence. If the right offer would come along we’d certainly be interested but we’re happy with our freedom right now.

6. There isn't much information about the recording, mixing, and mastering process for "Herezjarcha." Did you handle this process yourselves, or did you enlist the help of someone outside the band? How were the new band members involved in this process?

J. Gulick: We recorded the music ourselves with drums and mixing/mastering being done at Backroom Studios.  Kevin Antreassian did a phenomenal job. 

7. The album title is "Herezjarcha," a neologism that can be interpreted ambiguously. What specific meaning does it have for you? Who designed the album cover, and how does it relate to the album's content?

Mikael: Actually it isn’t a neologism, it is the Polish translation of the word english word heresiarch, it means arch heretic. Some inaccurate info went out on that hence the confusion. We felt that it encapsulated the essence of the songs as a whole. The reason it is in Polish is a nod to my heritage. Cover was designed by Artem Grygoryev, it is the literal embodiment of the arch heretic. The idea was something similar to the painting of a saint.

8. How has the live presentation of the new album been? Have the new members allowed you to have a greater live presence? What dates do you have confirmed for this year to present "Herezjarcha"? 

Mikael: It’s been great doing it live, Dave and Sean add so much to the band we are lucky to have them. We are very selective with how often we play. We’ll be in Brooklyn on 2/28 for our first show of 2026. Then we’re opening for Rivers of Nihil on 3/14, we don’t have anything after that planned until 10/3 when we play Under Appalachian Skies fest.

9. How would you describe the black metal scene in a country like the USA? What bands from Pennsylvania would you recommend?

Mikael: very small, I honestly don’t follow the PA scene at all. 

J. Gulick: There is a Black Metal scene, albeit small.  There’s a few I do like from Pennsylvania like Profligate, Daeva, Satanic Magick, Zauberei, Unholy Altar, etc.  There are good bands, they just don’t seem to get as much publicity, which makes sense given the genre.   Death Metal is much bigger in the states it seems, but to an extent that could be debatable (potentially).

10. How did you get started in music? What were the first concerts you attended? What were the first albums you bought? What event in your lives led you to want to become musicians?

Mikael: I started a cover band with friends in high school. I can’t exactly recall my first record purchase but I had Creed and POD albums. I was big into rock growing up and only came to metal in my late teens. First rock concert was tour with 3 Doors Down, Shinedown, Alter Bridge. Not exactly trve kvlt haha.

J. Gulick: My first álbum I bought was a Nirvana compilation álbum when I was maybe 10 or so and from there it got me into a lot of different music early on, specifically punk and just a wider range of stuff in general.  The first Metal song i vividly remember hearing was Metallica’s ‘Fight Fire with Fire’ when I was like 12 or so and I just got hooked from there.  Around highschool I became really immersed in Metal, mainly Death Metal and more Progressive leaning bands and in highschool a bit later I really came to the conclusión of what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, or at least largely dedícate to. Outside of dabbling in some not so serious Punk bands in Highschool, my first serious band was a Death Metal band back in 2010 with a close friend of mine. That eventually splintered forming a more Technical Death Metal oriented band called Decimator, but disbanding in 2013 before recording our EP. 

11. Which album represents the essence of black metal for you? What are the most recent albums you've bought?

Mikael: Under the Sign of Hell by Gorgoroth is a pretty good example I’d say. Gorgoroth is probably my favorite ‘traditional’ style black metal band. I collect vinyl and picked up Watain’s live album most recently. I’ve got my eye on some Panzerfaust and Groza next.

J. Gulick: I can agree with Under the Sign of Hell by Gorgoroth.  I also would say Bathory’s ‘Blood Fire Death’ or ‘Under the Black Mark’.  Mayhem’s ‘De Mysteris Dom Sathanas’ also comes to mind or Immortal’s ‘Pure Holocaust’. Too many to name really. 

12. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit. If you'd like to add anything for Profane Elegy fans, this is the place. I hope you enjoy the questions.

Mikael: to anyone who follows us, the biggest thing you can do to support us is share our music with your friends and help us grow! We’re on every platform out there and are not hard to find. 

J. Gulick: Thanks for taking the time to interview us. Hails.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Freeways ‎– Dark Sky Sanctuary 19,99 €

Vinyl, LP, Album

NECROSEXUAL

 

Origen: E.E.U.U., Philadelphia

Formados: 2011

Estilo: Black, crossover, hardcore, punk, speed y thrash.

Temática: Excesos, fenómenos, heavy metal, humor negro, lujuria, monstruos, necrosexualidad y terror.

Enlaces: Bandcamp y facebook

Miembros:

• Anthony "Vigo" Gabriele Guitarra
• Miles Ziskind Batería
• The Necrosexual Bajo, guitarra y voces
• Nick Roskow Guitarra

Discografía:

• Grim1 CD 2018
• The Gory Hole Overture in F# EP 2019
• Necrosexual Encounters LIVE: 2017​-​2019 EP 2019  
• Six Feet Under Classics Split 2021  
• Seeds of Seduction EP 2021
• Live Encounters 2022 Directo 2023  
• Road to Rubble CD 2026

ROAD TO RUBBLE (2026)

Segunda entrega para Necrosexual, banda que se crea allá por 2011 y que poco a poco ha ido recorriendo un arduo camino hasta llega a la edición de este "Road to Rubble", álbum que ha mejora sustancialmente lo ofrecido en sus debut "Grim1!(2019). El álbum se estructura en torno a nueve temas, de los cuales los iniciales tienen un tono más directo y reivindicativo, dejándose para el final aquellos con un aroma más rock, entre medias, un regusto a sonidos retro, un gusto por cierto humor negro y un huso de secciones thrash, speed y black. Unos comienzos en donde laa partes más punk, junto con la irreverencia que se le presupone, van impregnando una propuesta de sonido clásico. Hay secciones que empujan con más fuerza, gracias a cierta combinación de thrash o speed, voces en falsete, cierta melodía en diferentes líneas, tanto instrumental como en las voces, así como un tono con bastante groove, con unos riffs afilados y directos, dejando un regusto a sonido clásico, muy ochentero, rindiendo pleitesía a banda punteras de la época. La segunda parte del álbum se reconduce hacia elementos que tiene más que ver con un sonido rock más retro, hay pasajes casi que acústicos, y es que el papel de las guitarra es este álbum es de vital importancia. Aquí es donde parece que el ritmo se resiente, resultando una ambientación que nos sumerge en cierta teatralidad impostada, manteniendo cierto carácter irreverente, pero sustentándose en un sonido de guitarra endiabladamente clásico, permitiéndonos mecernos en esos riffs que, desde cierta vulgaridad se encumbran en demoledoras piezas de alto octanaje. Como un mezcla entre un sonido clásico, vestido de una capa extra de oscuridad, y por otro lado pudiendo aguantar cierta comparación con bandas como Midnight, este "Road to Rubble" explota un sonido trabajado para acercarnos una vez más a la década de los ochenta. (7,9).

Fiadh Productions

The Black Metal Archives Label

1. High Times in Hell 03:57  

2. The Brimstone Brothel 03:41  

3. Kiss the Knife 04:26  

4. Lubricator 03:21  

5. Twilight Drifter Intermezzo 01:06  

6. All Roads Lead to Rubble 05:15  

7. Damned Romance 03:23  

8. Nocturnal Ignition 03:52  

9. Hard Leather Woman 04:54  

  33:55

Kommandant - The Architects Of Extermination - (Red vinyl limited to 100) 12,99 €

Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Red

DRAWN INTO DESCENT

 

Origen: Bélgica, Mechelen

Formados: 2013

Estilo: Black atmosférico

Temática: Depresión

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

Miembros:

• B. Guitarra y voces
• G. Bajo
• J. Guitarra
• V. Baería

Discografía:

• Drawn into Descent CD 2015  
• The Endless Endeavour CD 2019  
• Ogen Single 2026  
• Onrust Single 2026  
• Onrust CD 2026

ONRUST (2026)

"Onrust" es el regreso de una banda como Drawn into Descent después de casi siete años de ostracismo, en forma de cuatro temas que rondan los diez minutos y que como mínimo, demuestra que el tiempo ha dejado su huella en su propuesta, ahora será cuestión de analizar de que forma. Siempre fieles como en sus anteriores obras, a un sonido en donde el tono atmosférico jugaba un papel esencial, lo cierto es que aún haciendo uso de ese corte atmosférico en el nuevo álbum, no lo es menos que también la banda ha sabido incorporar diferentes elementos que cuando menos enriquecen el resultado final de su propuesta. El endiablado gusto por esa duración extrema en los temas permite que un componente más post aflore en los mismos, manteniendo una linea en donde la ambientación nos va meciendo en un tono melancólico y triste, sin que lo depresivo sea tampoco algo ajeno a la misma. Sin embargo en medio de esa confusa  niebla que se va apoderando del oyente, surgen arrebatos de mayor contundencia, con una mayor presencia de un instrumentación más directa, trasformando al conjunto en una obra más decidida, más llena de oscuridad, equilibrando una musicalidad que incita a cierta reflexión con una rabia inherente al conjunto que nace desde unas voces con una dosis de sufrimiento nada desdeñable y logrando que todo fluya en una engañosa sensación tanto de familiaridad como de atmósfera densa y pastosa. El acierto por parte de Drawn Into Descent de equilibrar y jugar con ambos registros a lo largo de todo el álbum es de una asombrosa nitidez, trasformado los poco más de cuarenta minutos del mismo en una obra absorbente, que nos atrapa en la melancolía y la desazón de su ambientación, al mismo que un cuidado uso de la instrumentación permite que alcancen cotas de musicalidad extrema en forma de un sonido post que añade esas notas de rabia y depresión a un álbum ya de por si emotivo. (8,2).

Immortal Frost Productions

1. Teloorgang 11:41  

2. Drenkeling 09:39  

3. Onrust 12:13  

4. Ogen 09:09   

  42:4

Autophagocytosis – Forest 6,99 €

BMSP 19 - Edición en cassette gris limitada a 16 copias a un sola cara del segundo álbum de la one man band moldava de black depresivo Autophagocytosis, incluye código de descarga

1. Enter the Night 02:40

2. Life Can Be Beautiful, But Not for Everyone 03:15

3. Lonely 01:10

4. There's So Much Sadness Hidden in the Yards of the Panels 02:06

MEK NA VER

 

Origen: Italia, Roma

Formados: 2006

Estilo: Black

Temática: Introspección y oscuridad

Enlaces: Facebook e instagram.

Miembros:

• Andrea Scimò Batería
• Emanuele Telli Teclados
• Moerke Bajo
• Thomas Aurizzi Guitarra

Discografía:

• Heresy CD 2010  
• Noctivaga CD 2026

NOCTIVAGA (2026)

Mek Na Ver se formó en torno la año 2006 por Moerke, vocalista en Opera IX, este es su segundo álbum, el cual llega precedido por un único lanzamiento en 2010 "Heresy". Esa relación con Opera IX de alguna manera se muestra también presente en el contenido de este álbum, un álbum que por otra parte sabe combinar la oscuridad del black de los noventa, sobre todo con una textura de metal sinfónico, que en el caso que nos ocupa, es llevado a un extremo más oscuro y gótico, con un regusto a elementos doom. Cada tema es un paisaje de black que nos regla aun atmosfera cargada y absorbente, sin ningún tipo de miedo a trabajar secciones con un alto contenido de pasajes acústicos, en donde los teclados fluyen libremente, construyendo secciones de cierto carácter emotivo. Por otra parte hay un fuerte contraste entre estas secciones más emotivas y aquellas en la cuales la música trabaja registros más directos, aquí es donde ese carácter más tradicional del black metal como esa faceta más puramente de black sinfónico cobra mayor protagonismo, ofreciendo un registro mucho más clásico y reconocible, sabiendo equilibrar la fuerzas de ambos movimientos. Hay que destacar el trabajo a las voces, la participación de Algol (Forgotten Tomb, Hiems), son una bestia incendiaria de poderoso y directo black metal, llenas de oscuridad y odio, sin embargo relegadas a terrenos secundarios cuando se traen a escena las de Morke, con un carácter más limpio y melódico, surgiendo de ese contraste entre ambas voces los momentos más emotivos y sobresalientes del álbum, aumentando sin lugar a dudas, su carga emotiva. Como queriendo sumergirse en las profundidades de un gélido invierno nórdico, aspecto que nos recuerdan con una portada de bella factura, e igual que sucede con la lechuza que la sobrevuela, lo mismo podemos decir de ese tono de ambientación entre luchas de fuerzas, por un lado la naturaleza y por otro la vida y la muerte. (7,9).

Masked Dead Records

1. Silenzio d'Incanto e Fiele 03:25  

2. Strix - Elegia Lunae 05:13  

3. Strige - Altar of Unspoken Vows 06:04  

4. Strigae - Canticum Nihilitatis (il Canto del Nulla) 05:28  

5. Strigoi - In Nihilum 05:24  

6. Ascensio Astrae (tra le Stelle) 05:01   Show lyrics

7. Sabbat - Vespera Ultima 08:25  

  39:00

Teufelsberg ‎– Pakt mit der Teufel 19,99 €

Vinyl, LP, Album

OLHAVA

 MEMORIAL (2026)

Pocos escépticos deben de quedar ya a la hora de no dar cabida a una banda como Olhava en su repertorio de bandas de post, blackgaze, ambiental o black atmosferíco. La banda ha dejado de ser hace hace mucho tiempo una sorpresa, para asentarse como una realidad, una realidad que sigue expandiendo su propuesta hacia terrenos cada vez más personales, sin importarle construir un álbum de más de setenta y cinco minutos, en torno a un tema de más de veinte como "When the Ashes Grow Cold" que es un fiel reflejo de lo que banda es hoy en día y que resume perfectamente el contenido de este álbum. Un álbum que logra trasmitir paisajes desolados, en donde cunde el desaliento de una soledad poblada de recuerdos e imágenes confusas en donde la realidad se confunde con ambiguas presencias, que solo el recuerdo mantiene con vida, confundiendo lo esencial con lo cotidiano, la vida con la muerte, la necesidad con la añoranza y el desapego con la búsqueda de lo que no está. Esto se construye perfectamente en este álbum gracias a la duración de los temas, lo cuales permiten transitar por diferentes pasajes, que se confabulan para tejer una niebla que embota los sentidos, desde la ambigüedad de formas, en donde los registros más serenos se nutren de un desosiego interno que fluye incontrolable en la linea más interna de su música, pero que cuando explota en secciones más directas, más cercanas a un post-metal  de referencia, saben combinar esa rabia con un sufrimiento desalentador que trasforma el conjunto en un desalentador conjunto de emociones del todo encontradas, sin que haya ni el más mínimo atisbo de lucidez ni mesura. Pocos bandas pueden llegar a entregar un álbum con un sonido tan envolvente e inmersivo, lleno de diferentes grados de sensaciones y emotividad, en donde una tristeza se palpa en cada nueva nota, en donde la rabia recorre cada tema y un confuso entramado de melancolía y pesadumbre acaba por trasformar a este "Memorial " en casi una necesidad. (7,6).

Avantgarde Music

1. Ageless River X 04:56   instrumental

2. After I’m Gone 14:16  

3. When the Ashes Grow Cold 20:21  

4. Ageless River XI 05:33   instrumental

5. Memorial 13:24  

6. Ageless River XII 06:33   instrumental

7. The River Wakes 07:29  

8. Ageless River XIII 05:46   instrumental

  01:18:18  

Weregoat ‎– The Devil's Lust 22,99 €

Released on standard black vinyl, limited to 800 copies. Comes with poster.

HANDFUL OF HATE - INTERVIEW

 1. Handful of Hate came into being around 1993. A lot has happened in this almost quarter of a century. What memories do you have of those early days of Handful of Hate? Why did you decide to create the band? Why did you choose the name Handful of Hate, and what does it refer to?

Handful of Hate was formed in 1993, and our first bassist Ugo (rip 1994) had a hand in choosing the name. He wanted to express with the term "Handful" the way we played our music, with our hands full, like a handful of the most extreme emotion possible: hate.

I have many memories of those years. At night, we would go to cemeteries and, in our first rehearsal room in an attic, we would listen to vinyl records and CDs of the most important extreme bands of that period. Black Metal wasn't yet the genre we know today, and few bands played Black Metal, as opposed to Death Metal, which was generally American.

2. “Soulless Abominations” is your eighth album, released almost seven years after its predecessor. In between, Iblis joined on bass, following the earlier addition of Aeternus on drums. What have these last few years been like within Handful of Hate leading up to the decision to release a new album? How did you approach the songwriting and recording process? What brands of instruments did you use? How do you think “Soulless Abominations” fits into Handful of Hate's legacy and trajectory?

Well our previous album “Adversus” has been released in 2019, covid pandemia occurred and we got forced to stop. I decided to compose a new album in 2022, I started working slowly songwriting each song by myself and taking care of each detail. I spent a lof of time and many efforts giving shape to “Soulless Abominations”, from the music part to the lyrics, from the artwork to the cover design. I think this album represents a modern return to the origins of Black Metal, raw, direct, uncompromising (like every Handful Of Hate’s act) a perfect synthesis between our past and our future.

3. The new album opens with a track like “Libera Me” and makes a real statement. Hey! We're Handful of Hate, and we're back. It's impossible not to get lost in that incendiary riff that runs through the song from the very beginning. But the truth is, the album maintains that aggressive and incendiary black metal sound to the very end. Where did you find the inspiration to unleash that intensity and deliver an album with such a direct and powerful black metal sound? How would you describe the sound of the new album?

The opening riff of "Libera Me" is one of my signature compositions, a sort of topic. You can find similar ones on previous albums; they're heavily inspired by the classical music wich I studied at the Conservatory. It's definitely one of the best pieces on the album, inspired by the melody and the origins of the genre. As I said before, with "Soulless Abominations" I wanted to avoid a clean and balanced production turning back to the past. Already during the composition I realized that this album sounded much "evil and aggressive" than the previous ones, so I decided to use a dirtier sound for a compact and violent result that enhances the sum of all the instruments and not the individual parts.

4. You've always opted for lyrics that stray from the typical tropes of the genre, focusing on personal experiences and other concerns. Where did you get the inspiration for the lyrics on the new album? What specific themes do they address, and what makes them stand out from certain conventions? Do the lyrics adapt to the music, or vice versa?

My lyrics adapt to the music, the guitar part comes first and then the lyrics. I consider myself a guitarist first and foremost. I'm a scholar and a researcher, and always I have been. It's easy for me to evoke my readings and reflections in the texts I compose. I avoid writing banalities and childish things like many bands do, due to lack of culture. For years, I've been exploring topics of eschatology, theology, and the symbolism of martyrs. I add a touch of the Middle Ages, the subject of my degree, and many insights drawn from the practice of vice and the most extreme carnality. Abominations…

5. The new album was released by Dukstone. Why did you decide to change record labels for the new album, and why did you choose Dukstone?

Cause Dusktone fits perfectly our music direction.

6. There isn't much information about where the album was recorded and mixed, but we have to congratulate you on capturing the aggression and authentic sound of underground black metal. Can you tell us something about how it was made and who was in charge of the process?

All instruments have been recorded at Outersound Studios in Rome (Italy) by Giuseppe Orlando. The album has been mixed and mastered by Riccardo Studer, the same guy who worked in our previous album “Adversus”.

7. Who designed the album cover? What does it represent, and how does it relate to the album's content?

I designed the cover with ink on paper. The inspiration came to me about five years ago when I studied an engraving by Albrecht Dürer from 1503, "Coat of Arms with a Skull." it is an allegory of death, I focused on the heraldic part, the shield, the image that contains it and the crest. I like to point out how the inside of the album is enriched by images taken from the paintings of Paolo Pelosini, a contemporary artist who has depicted stunning naturalistic views.

8. Handful of Hate could be considered a pioneer of black metal in Italy, or at least a contributor to its development. What do you remember from those early years of the 1990s? Did your inspiration come from France, Greece, the Nordic countries, or were you largely self-taught? What are the best and worst moments you remember in the band's history? How do you think the extreme metal scene and industry have evolved in the years you've been active?

When I started to play Black Metal it was 1991, first project Dust of Darkness aborted. I restart in 1993 with Handful Of Hate. The main influences in that period were Death Metal by Area from US and Black Metal from UK (Venom) and Scandinavia (Bathory, Dark Throne, first Immortal and first Marduk). In a second time the Greek wave arrived surprising me with great bands suck as Rotthing Christ and Necromantia. I think best moments have been on stage together with other bands pioneers of Black Metal (Necromass and Opera IX). Worst one, indeed, the death of our first bass player in 1994.

I dont know if we can talk of a complete evolution concerning Black Metal, there are innovative bands indeed and technology helped a lot during the recording sessions and the final sound result but, at the same time, I’m still listening oldway played and uncompromising genuine  Black Metal as it must be from ‘90s to nowdays.

9. Have you already started touring the new album? What concerts or festivals do you have planned for this year? How would you describe the current Italian black metal scene?

Yes in january we played 4 gigs in Italy (from the centre to the north), before summer we will take part to a couple of Festivals: “Northern Darkness” feastival april 11st and “Dolometal” fastival may the 29th… We already have some contact for the end of summer… we will see.

10. What were your beginnings in music like? What were the first concerts you attended? What were the first albums you bought? What event in your lives pushed you to become musicians?

I started top lay guitar at 12. I continued studying into Conservatory. I started listening to metal when I was in high school, I still remeber older guys with Iron Maiden patches on their jackets. Well I still remember we use to exhange tapes and cd’s, the first one I bought was “The number of the beast” from Iron Maiden and at the same time “Back in Black” from AC DC. 

11. Which album represents the essence of black metal for you? What are the most recent albums you've bought?

I got stunned and very strong influenced by these masterpieces from Marduk: “Thouse of the unlight” and “Heaven shall burn…” at the same time I can’t forget the strong impact that “Abomination of desolation” from morbid Angel gave to me.

Last cd I bought…. Let me think… well a couple: Agony & ecstasy of  Watain and the namesake of Jungle Rot.

12. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit. If you'd like to add anything for Handful of Hate fans, this is the place. I hope you enjoy the questions.

My pleasure and thank you for support, stay tuned!

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CD, Album, Stereo