viernes, 31 de marzo de 2023
jueves, 30 de marzo de 2023
AARA
TRIADE III: NYX (2023)
Tercer álbum para los suizos con el cual cierran la trilogía sobre la obra de Charles Maturin "Melmoth the Vagabundo", de forma más que acertada, manteniendo los puntos fuertes de los dos anteriores y profundizando si cabe todavía más en un sonido que han hecho propio. Capaces una vez más de sumergirnos en una ambientación oscura y densa, ofreciendo un buen puñado de recursos acorde con el black metal como puede ser el uso de unos riffs brutales, un sonido de batería potente y el saber jugar con el tremolo picking en ciertas secciones. Sin embargo el resultado final del álbum nos deja abierta una puerta a otros estilos como el metal con connotaciones sinfónicas, fruto de un trabajo más directo a la hora de emplear un mayor número de sintetizadores y arreglos sinfónicos que sin llegar a ser del todo determinantes si que dejan su impronta a lo largo del álbum en forma de un sonido más denso y épico sin que se pierda la esencia de la atmósfera cargada y densa. El álbum muestra ambiguo cuando lega su fin, dejando un regusto a haber asistido a un álbum de esencia black, pero que se construye empleando elementos no tan acordes con el estilo, como su Aara hubiese querido traspasar la frontera de diferentes estilos, apostando por un mayor peso de elementos sinfónicos que ayudan a que el sonido potente y oscuro, en donde las voces juegan un papel fundamental con su estilo agudo, nos acabe por atrapar en un mundo de demencia y autodestrucción, de la misma manera que llevan haciendo a lo largo de sus tres últimos álbumes y que nos hacen pensar en que lo mejor esta aún por llegar. (7,7).
Invocation Spells – The Flame of Hate 14,99 €
miércoles, 29 de marzo de 2023
VREDENSDAL
Origen: E.E.U.U., Green Bay
Formados: 2018
Estilo: Black
Temática: Anticristianismo, introspección, misantropía y sufrimiento.
Enlaces: Facebook, instagram, spotify y youtube
Miembros:
- Goblin Reaper Guitarra y voces
- Lord Mortkin Batería
- Myrvandrer Bajo
- Die by the Sword Single 2018
- Gather, All Ye Hellions Demo 2019
- Fealty of Diabolism CD 2019
- Living by Torch Single 2020
- Echo of Evil Single 2020
- The Tyrant Shade CD 2020
- Shattering Steel EP 2020
- Silence Is Eternal CD 2021
- Resurrecting the Wolf EP 2022
- Sonic Devotion to Darkness CD 2023
SONIC DEVOTION TO DARKNESS (2023)
Cuarta entrega para este banda de Wisconsin que entrega un álbum con un sonido que de alguna forma recuerda al black escandinavo con influencias tanto clásicas, adentrándose también en terrenos más actuales. Hay un buen trabajo de guitarras que junto con un ritmo de batería no excesivamente elevado, permite que los riffs se adentren por pasajes con cierta melodía, repletos de agresividad y sonando directos, ofreciendo un tono que muchas veces afrontan un propuesta muy clásica, descubriendo influencias del thrash en su origen y enfocando su propuesta al sonido clásico escandinavo. Sin embargo no es menos cierto también que esta combinación de guitarras y batería de ritmo más pausado, si le añadimos algunas disonancias acaban por adentrarse en un black más contemporáneo, de atmósferas que retratan aspectos como el sufrimiento y la introspección. A todo ello ayuda un tono en las voces directo y frío que combina perfectamente con la propuesta de instrumental, arremetiendo con fuerza y elevando el tono y el carácter de la música cuando el ritmo parece querer languidecer. Un trabajo que sobresales por su propuesta de guitarra, con un sonido muy completo, repleto de elaborados riffs que muchas veces se alejan de los patrones clásicos del género, que logra ofrecer un atmósfera elaborada sin caer en excesos, con un acertado equilibrio entre un tono melódico en la música en contraste con las voces más directas, encontrando el equilibrio entre tradición e innovación (8,4).
SPECTRAL DAMNATION - INTERVIEW
Good evening, thank you very much for answering these questions, how is everything going in Charleroi?
Arachnid Saar: Well, it's going well, a dream between assaults, drugs, and police (sarcastic laughter).
GÆTN: We just played a concert at MCP Apaches on March 18th to celebrate the release of our album with our fans. It's like playing at home. We are all from this region and played our first concerts here after reforming.
1. The band started around 2015, why did you decide to create the band? What does the name Spectral Damnation refer to and why did you decide to use it?
Arachnid Saar: After the split of Mystica, I had the right people to continue making a more old-school black metal, based on the 90s. We needed a new name to signify this new beginning. There are many bands, finding a name is harder than composing music these days, so the name came out and was validated by the members of that time.
GÆTN: There isn't really a dedicated translation for Spectral Damnation. It expresses judgment, divine punishment. The condemnation of any divine entity, created by man to satisfy his need for superiority.
2. The road to the release this year of your first full-length has been somewhat tortuous, with only the release in 2018 of your first EP “Out of Control”, how have you dealt with this period of changes within the band? Has the continuity of the band been in question at some point?
Arachnid Saar: Just before the release of our EP in 2018, Yohan Thibaut, our drummer at the time, had a serious car accident, and it shook us all up and we took a moment before talking about Spectral Damnation again. We searched for a replacement drummer, and it was really not easy to find someone with his level of skill and open-mindedness. So after the accident, I put the band on hold for many months. Several people asked me repeatedly to take up the torch and continue. That's when I looked for new members.
Tsebaoth immediately accepted because I had already talked to him about wanting to start a black metal band with him, without immediately thinking of Spectral Damnation. Arkhon was more difficult to recruit because he was involved in other projects (Naked Evil, Revolt 666, Katassamalass), but he eventually accepted. GÆTN responded to an ad on social networks and it clicked right away between him and us. We had several drummers with different levels of skill and we quickly realized that it was going to be tough. We were very demanding about the intensity and speed that had to be brought to Spectral Damnation. Finally, Ahephaim accepted and joined the band 6 months before our studio entry.
3. How has the process of writing and recording your album “Extra Æcclesiam” been like? How do you think your way of working on new songs has evolved over the years? What brand of instruments have you used for the process?
Arachnid Saar: My way of composing has always been the same for years. I use Ezdrummer, jamming on different drum patterns and so on. I submit the composition and we evaluate together what needs to be modified. Then we improve in rehearsal. Maybe we become better with practice, I don't know. My riffs come from my heart, my guts. I don't know how it's supposed to sound or what bands I should listen to in order to create a certain type of composition. No. It's based on the inspiration of the moment.
I used an ESP for the studio and I have an Ibanez. Currently, I play on a Solar, a true gem!
4. This “Extra Æcclesiam” can be framed within the black/death sound, however we can also find differentiating aspects such as the good work done in the search for a dark atmosphere, how would you describe the sound of the album for those who haven't heard it yet? What bands have influenced you when defining the sound you wanted for this album?
Arachnid Saar: We talked a lot together about how it should sound. Then Déhà, the sound engineer at Opus Magnum Studio (Blackout Studio - Brussels) is experienced in all kinds of Black Metal. He brought us a lot to the creation of the sound, like the atmospheres and keyboards. He is a very open-minded guy and fits perfectly with Spectral Damnation.
GÆTN: I would say we play Deathened Black Metal. I don't know if this label is common, but I would say it's more appropriate than Blackened Death Metal. Our sound is suffocating and dense, made of infernal blast beats and divine atmospheres. We came to the studio with fairly simple musical influences. Marduk, Dark Funeral. The personalities of the musicians, the vocals, and Déhà did the rest.
5. When talking about Belgian black metal it is impossible not to have a band like Enthroned as a reference, curiously in the formation of Spectral Damnation there are a couple of musicians who were part of Enthroned in the past, in what way do you think the presence of Ahephaim and Tsebaoth in Spectral Damaniton have been able to influence when defining your sound?
Arachnid Saar: Yes, Enthroned is indeed a very popular band. But I don't think that Tsebaoth and Ahephaim have predominantly influenced the sound. We all had our say, and when the mix was released, we saw Déhà and told him what needed to be corrected.
GÆTN: The drums are an important part of the sound of Spectral Damnation. You can't miss them. So in that sense, yes, they influence the sound. Just as Tsebaoth brought some great compositions to the album. But as Arachnid Saar stipulates, the final sound is the result of a joint effort.
6. Your lyrics follow a theme of death and anti-Christianity, why do you deal with these issues in your lyrics? Who is in charge of writing the lyrics? Do the lyrics adapt to the music or vice versa?
GÆTN: I have been responsible for writing the lyrics for Spectral Damnation since the band's reformation. On the album "Extra Æcclesiam," I wrote all the lyrics except for "Out of Control," which was written for the band's first EP by the singer at the time.
No! The music doesn't adapt to the lyrics. It's the opposite. We start with the compositions, and the vocals themselves are studied as an instrument. Each placement and tonality is worked on to best fit the music of Spectral Damnation. The search for themes and lyrics completes the creation of a piece and gives it a name.
The lyrics are not positioned as anti-Christian blasphemy or other derivatives (such as Satanism). We use Christian historical events and beliefs to illustrate our vision of man and religion. How man has used religion and popular beliefs to make it a tool of power. The darkest oppositions rooted in the Christian faith, which prove the human reason behind religion. The establishment of an ecclesiastical power, a self-proclaimed holder of the sacred word, the direct hand of an authoritarian empire that prevailed in the West for centuries. That's what "Extra Æcclesiam" is about.
7. To finish shaping the sound of the album you have worked with Déhà, in the Opus Magnum Studio. Why did you decide to work with Déhá? What do you think the work done by Déhá has contributed to the final sound of the album?
Arachnid Saar: It was Ahephaïm, our drummer, who recommended him to us for the simple reason that they had already worked together several times in the past. Déhà is very open-minded, and his work is recognized on the world stage. So we were eager to work with him on our album. He immediately put us at ease, there was no pressure. It helps a lot when creating something.
GÆTN: We arrived with our raw compositions, without arrangements, and he brought his vision to the project. The samples, synth orchestrations, and some effects on the vocals are all from his overflowing imagination of darkness. We knew we wanted to bring in synths to finalize the album, but we didn't want to fall into something too symphonic or too much like Dimmu Borgir (an easy example to find at the time). Déhà knew how to give the right balance to his arrangements to bring that divine and ostentatious touch to the project.
8. The album cover gives off an aroma of death and occultism with a good balance in the image that it offers between reds and blacks, who was in charge of the design of the cover? What does it represent and how is it related to the lyrics of the album?
GÆTN: The work of Gustave Doré is incredibly precise and soulful. The scenes he designed are dramatic and you can feel all the darkness of the human soul in them. His illustration work on the Bible in the 19th century is a perfect art to illustrate our Black Metal, whose lyrics are greatly inspired by the Bible and Christian antiquity.
The artwork we have selected is "The Darkness at the Crucifixion". For us, it represents all the drama of humanity as it has been presented to us for centuries. It conveys both the hatred and fear of men and the supernatural beliefs that are unleashed.
9. Unlike your first Ep that was self-published for the edition of this first album, you have chosen to work with the Necktwister label, which has made a complete edition on CD, why did you choose Necktwister for the edition of your first album? Are you satisfied with the work done on your part?
Arachnid Saar: We contacted many labels, even some big ones, but we hit a wall. It was difficult to get responses. There were the Covid-19 pandemic, and the market is saturated with bands, as we are all very aware. There are many bands like us looking for a label, and I think labels are also saturated. In the end, we signed with Necktwister. For now, I have nothing to complain about; the label is attentive, and we have frequent exchanges.
GÆTN: In the end, we are working with a Belgian label that is becoming increasingly important in Belgium. It has under its wing some very promising Belgian bands, and we are very satisfied to be able to join them. I can mention Serpent Oath, Patroness, Provectus, and Artefacts.
10. You have already offered a concert to present the new album, how has your public's response to this new album been? Have you closed enough dates to present the new album live?
Arachnid Saar: We did 2 concerts for the release of the album. One in Flanders (north of Belgium) and one in Wallonia (in the south). In Flanders, there weren't too many people, I don't know the reason despite the quality bands on the bill (Provectus, Kurgaall). The date in Wallonia was sold out (Alkhemia, Exutoire, Krater & Serpent Oath). The reception was exceptional and we received very good feedback on our performance, the people were very enthusiastic and so were we naturally.
11. Slaughter the giant, Ater, Ars Veneficium, Iron Death or the aforementioned Enthroned, give a good account of the extreme metal scene in a country like Belgium. What is your opinion of the black metal scene in your country? How do you Do you think it has evolved over the years?
Arachnid Saar:I think there is a revival of black metal, post black. I think it's a good thing to have more bands compared to previous years. Recently, hardcore, metalcore, and deathcore were omnipresent. We need to support our black metal scene as best we can. Organizers often struggle to maintain their business. I often see cancellations due to too few pre-sales. It's a real concern that needs to be taken into account. Rare are the organizers who manage to break even and they often stop their beautiful projects.
GÆTN: Wiegedood, Heinous, Sabathan, Serpent Oath, Sagra's Cult.. it seems you forgot some and the list is not finished. Honestly, black metal will never die in Belgium.
12. How were your beginnings in music: first concerts you attended, first albums you bought? What event in your lives pushed you to want to be musicians?
Arachnid Saar: I've been involved in music since I was 24 and just turned 50. My life has been about forming bands, I've been in a few, but mostly it's about being with friends, drinking beers, going to concerts. It's the social aspect that I love most about music. I think my very first album, if I remember correctly, was Testament's "The New Order". The concerts, of course, the energy, the response of the crowd, it's an atmosphere, it's a state of mind. To me, metal is summed up in one thing: It's life.
GÆTN: My attraction to this music started during my teenage years. First influenced by more general metal, I then discovered Dimmu Borgir, Marduk, Dark Funeral, Mayhem, and since then I knew I would be an actor in the Black Metal scene and not just a listener.
13. What album represents for you the essence of black metal? What last albums have you bought?
Arachnid Saar: I'm a fan of the second wave black metal. Secrets Of The Black Arts by Dark Funeral is still in my top 3 today, Panzer Division by Marduk like I said before, the years '95-2000, it was awesome. Today, there are some post black metal bands like Der Weg Einer Freiheit that I love, Uada, Batushka, Ov Shadows, Serpent Oath, Wiegedood...
GÆTN: If I really have to choose one, I would say "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" by Mayhem. I'm also very attracted to these 3rd wave black metal bands and the Icelandic scene. Mgla, Mysphirming, Darvaza, Enthroned (since the change of singer), Inferno, these are some that make me vibrate with each listen.
14. What future plans do you have for Spectral Damnation in terms of expectations about this new album, concerts or reissues?
Arachnid Saar: We would like to venture out of Belgium and explore other horizons. It would be great if the album could be released on vinyl, as there is a certain demand for this type of format and we would like to offer it to our fans.
GÆTN: There are few concerts scheduled for the coming months. We are in talks with Necktwister to handle our booking. The label should soon release "Extra Æcclesiam" on cassette.
15. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for the fans of Spectral Damnation this is the place. I hope the questions are to your liking.
Arachnid Saar: To our fans, a big thank you for your feedback, it's really great and of course, come to our concerts when we play near you. We need to keep the underground scene alive. Metal isn't just about big organizations. Small bands will be the big ones of tomorrow, but they won't make it without you.
We mainly communicate with our fans on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/spectraldamnation) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/truespectraldamnation/)
Watch our “Serpent on a Cross” Movie here: https://youtu.be/jE8m9FwBRHM
You can buy the album on Necktwister Agency Website (https://www.necktwister.com/product/nt023-spectral-damnation-extra-aecclesiam/)
and get our merch on our Bandcamp page (https://spectraldamnation.bandcamp.com/merch)
interview with Arachnid Saar (founder, Lead Guitar) and GÆTN (Vocalist).
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Akercocke – Renaissance In Extremis (Clear vinyl or black vinyl) 18,99 €
lunes, 27 de marzo de 2023
ZORORMR
Origen: Polonia, Opole
Formados: 2010
Estilo: Black melódico, dark ambient.
Temática: Demonio, lucifer, ocultismo y oscuridad
Enlaces: Bandcamp, facebook, spotify y youtube
Miembros:
- Moloch Bajo, guitarra, teclados y voces
- Kval CD 2010
- IHS CD 2013
- Corpus Hermeticum CD 2015
- The Aftermath EP 2016
- The Monolith CD 2023
domingo, 26 de marzo de 2023
UNPURE
Origen: Suecia, Uppsala.
Formados: 1991
Estilo: Black, thrash, speed metal
Temática: Dolor, guerra, lujuria, muerte y satanismo
Enlaces: Bandcamp, facebook e instagram
Miembros:
- E. Forcas Batería
- H. Death Guitarra y voces
- Kolgrim Bajo y voces
- P. Guitarra y voces
- Demo 1 - XCII Demo 1993
- Demo 2 '93 Demo 1993
- Demo 3 '94 Demo 1994
- Unpure CD 1995
- Coldland CD 1996
- Rehearsal Tape 1997 Demo 1997
- Headbangers Against Disco Vol. 2 Split 1997
- Promotape 1998 Demo 1998
- The Unpurest Sabbatical Splitombstone Split 2001
- Trinity in Black CD 2001
- World Collapse CD 2004
- All that I Have Behind Me Directo 2017
- Northern Sea Madness Recopilatorio 2021
- Prophecies Ablaze CD 2023
sábado, 25 de marzo de 2023
LITURGY
93696 (2023)
Sexta entrega para los neoyorquinos Liturgy, una vez dando un paso más en esa suerte de propuesta que al mismo tiempo que puede resultar molesta al oyente, logra atraparlo en el entramado de elementos que pueblan su sonido. Imposible poder hacerse una idea de los que encierra este álbum, en donde no hay dos temas que se parezcan entre si, incluso me atrevería a decir que dentro de cada tema conviven diferentes temas, pero que sin embargo logra ofrecer mucha más cohesión, logrando dejar sensaciones de asistir a la audición de un álbum de metal extremo y no a un conjunto de ideas sueltas que han tenido a bien caer en los surcos de un vinilo. Quién este familiarizado con el estilo de Liturgy no saldrá defraudado de ninguna de las maneras, estamos ante un álbum sin ningún tipo de complejos, sin miramientos, que encierra un sinfín de diferentes ideas y estilos en su interior, que desborda musicalidad en cada nota y acaba por atraparnos en su propuesta única. Única en el sentido de que asistimos a un álbum de metal extremo, en donde estilos como el post y el djent tienen un protagonismo fundamental, así como el buen hacer en el dominio de las intensidades y el ritmo del álbum. Desde el inicio vemos que esto se escapa a cualquier canon establecido dentro del black, unos teclados ceremoniosos que casi nos acunan en su dulzura, se ven destrozados por atronadores riffs en donde abundan las disonancias, al tiempo que el sonido de batería y sintetizadores inundan la propuesta a base de violencia, agresividad y muchas saturación. Los temas se van enredando como un ovillo, ofreciendo a veces atisbo de ciertos patrones que podemos considerar lineales pero que se vuelven inconexos en una abrumadora masa de disonancias y sintetizadores. Cabe destacar que cuando somos devorados por el sonido más demoledor de batería y guitarra, se da paso a piezas instrumentales de carácter retro que nos dejan totalmente descolocados meciéndonos en su carácter más limpio y melancólico. Lo mismo puede decirse de unas voces que en sus partes más directas suenan agresivas y crudas, con un poso a sonido punk, pero que se pueden tornar en otras más limpias y accesibles sin previo aviso. Asistir a la audición de este "93696", es dejarse atrapar en una vorágine de emociones, emprender un viaje hacia la esquizofrenia, en donde nada es lo que parece y un sentimiento de inseguridad y de experimentar con ácidos acaba por trascender. (8,4).
Black vinyl limited to 100 copies. 110g vinyl with 1/0 K labels in a microtene innerbag, housed in a spocket jacket on 300gsm uncoated matte cardstock
CIEMRA - INTERVIEW
Good evening, thank you very much for answering these questions, how is everything going in Minsk?
Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to answer interesting questions.
At the moment it is difficult to say, as at the moment we are far from our Motherland, and its capital - Minsk. We suspect that everything is not as smooth as we would like it to be, especially the musical activities.
1. The band is formed around the year 2019, in what circumstances did you decide to create the band? Why did you choose the name Ciemra and what does it refer to?
There are quite a few causal connections. The main reason for forming our collective is the desire to bring to life and manifest the inner Dark Stream that has haunted us over the preceding years. The name speaks for itself. Ciemra is Darkness (from the Belarusian word "Цемра"). A word that embodies our activities in its best.
2. I suppose the period of confinement derived from the Covid, caused you a certain delay when it came to having your first Ep ready, how do you remember the process of composition and recording of these first two songs that made up this "Agony Blasphemy"? Did you expect the impact it achieved?
Covid definitely had a negative influence in the period of writing, recording and realization of the conceived things. This can be evidenced by the presence of only two songs in this release. Recorded not in the best way, but no less relevant to us at the time.
I don't think this EP made any furor or somehow shook up the media, which cannot be said about the full-length album.
3. You have recently released “The Tread of Darkness” your first full album, how do you think your sound has evolved between these two releases in the years between them? What has the writing and recording process of this album been like and what brands of instruments have you used for the process?
The production of the full-length album was more extensive and significantly different from the EP. The main body of the album was recorded in a week at our studio, called Alma, based in Minsk. The issue is quite wide, we don't see any point in describing all the equipment. We can say one thing - nothing fancy or technologically powered. Tama drums, Sabian iron, Gibson, Rickenbacker guitars. Pretty classic and simple set of instruments.
Even though the process itself was pretty tough because of the conditions we were doing it in, after a while we can say that it was interesting. It was a good experience. All the instruments were recorded live - and that's the main point.
4. In your sound there is a component of darkness and death, at the same time that you do not give up let's say pagan elements, with an ear set on the traditional black sound of the nineties, but neither do you give up other not so classic elements that refer to and more varied influences, how would you describe the sound of this “The Tread of Darkness” for someone who hasn't heard it yet? What are your main influences when it comes to defining your sound?
We think it's quite a complicated question to characterize our sound. Having absorbed the whole history of the genre (from the origins, to the second and even the third wave), favoring one character or another, we tried to find a kind of balance. And I think we succeeded. This sound is the sound of the Ciemra. No more, no less.
Interesting facts: 5 pairs of drumsticks killed in 2 hours, probably a bad series. Several dead mics, bare concrete walls in the control room, sleeping bags to get some rest in the studio. Now that's a real treat, if you know what I mean.
The bass guitar was not recorded in the studio, so what you hear in the album are the parts from the demo, recorded in 1.5 hours at home-based studio. The bass player was put in a mental hospital for 3 months. They took him away on the third day of recording. It's a sad story, and we'll talk about it some other time.
5. Malvain is in charge of the vocal section, how did Malvain join the band? What aspects of his personality do you think ended up emerging and giving the sound of the album a personal style?
Malvain is a phenomenon. An artist with a very rich experience in different, very dark forms art, not only BM. She joined the band around the same time that the title song of the album was born. Her main idea is the inexorable urge to destroy all living things, chaos and total hatred of primitive forms of existence. You can feel it in her voices.
6. I previously commented that in your sound there are elements such as darkness and a certain tone of paganism, contact with nature, along the lines of bands like the Ukrainians Drudkh or the Slovakians Malokarpatan, do you feel identified in any way with the proposal of these bands?
Thank you for your question. Regarding the bands mentioned in your example, we can say that no, none of them is any kind of reference for us. Neither ideologically nor musically. Nevertheless, we are flattered, or rather surprised, by some sort of comparison, or mention of these formations on your part.
7. Aspects such as darkness or war are present in your lyrics, why did you decide to deal with these issues? Who is in charge of writing the lyrics? Do the lyrics adapt to the music or vice versa?
Regarding Darkness, I think the answer can be found by listening to the whole album. As for the song War (which is most likely the one in question), I can note right away that it has nothing to do with what's going on in Ukraine right now. The song was written long before all the events and has a direct relation to the war with the usual order of things, anti-religious sentiments are not excluded. In any case, everyone who in one way or another has touched the Dark, will decide for themselves what it is about and with what or with whom they wage this very War. The Horseman is ruthless and evil. Nothing can stand against this phenomenon.
8. Have you already started to offer a concert to present the new album? What plans do you have in this regard? Will you keep the hidden identities in the live shows?
Yes, a show is already scheduled in Warsaw, Poland. May 4th. We have some hopes for Italy and some more shows in Europe. We are also looking for connections and it would be great to visit other continents of our planet.
Our images remain the same. We don't plan to distract our listeners from our music and creativity through our personalities/faces.
9. You have recorded the album at Alma Studio in Minsk and the mixing and mastering has been done at Jaro Sound in Prague. What led you to choose both studios to finish getting the sound for the album ready?
Why we chose Alma Studio, because great people work there, our friends, we have known them for a long time, our views and approach to art have a lot in common. A good, correct technical base, which leads to the trust. The proper communication is a very important thing.
As for mixing and mastering, we worked with Yaroslav in previous projects, quite a long time ago, since 2013. We managed to become friends during this period. I like his approach to business and his responsiveness. Despite many tons of edits and searches, we were able to get the result we were looking for.
Communication and understanding of what we want to create is the key.
10. The album cover has been made by Nestor Povarnin, why did you decide to work with him for the cover? What does the cover represent and how does it relate to the content of the album?
We started a dialogue with Nestor even before the edits and mastering of the album were finished; he heard our music in the early stages. The man is a true Artist. His work deserves attention outside the context of our cover. Our correspondence lasted several months until we came to a consensus on what or who should be depicted on the cover. Namely five horsemen, in addition to the four, well known to all, there is a fifth at the head of the procession. His name is Darkness. This is what represents our quintet. A sight at how we relate to the world and what we want to convey. As detailed as possible. He embodied the spirit of the album in all 100%. And we are grateful to him for that.
11. Avantgarde Music has been in charge of editing the album, how do you contact them to edit the album? Are you satisfied with the work done by them?
Our acquaintance with Avantgarde Music label was quite sudden, like an impulse. The man from Black Metal Promotion contributed a lot to it. The communication developed from the first words. Their interest to our work surprised us. We can say that they are very professional and experienced people, with a rich history and the most open-minded approach to the art. Extremely pleased with our cooperation, communication, and the support we receive to this day. In addition, we hope for our further fruitful cooperation.
12. Belarusian black metal bands, Infestum, Doomslaughter or Pa Vesh En come to mind right now, what is your perception of the Belarusian black metal scene? Which bands would you recommend? What is the metal scene like? end of a city like Minsk?
Oh yes, we know these names.
Unfortunately, the scene in Belarus is rather disconnected, and we have no contact with each other. Nevertheless, there are bands that you would like to listen to. In addition to those you mentioned, there are a number of formations that deserve attention and studying deep.
Those are: Raven Throne, Dymna Lotva, Khandra. A decent part of Belarusian BM scene.
Zaklon - one of the pioneers of the genre in our region - deserves special attention. We express our respect and admiration to our fellow countrymen. We hope for a soonest reunion of most of our scene and joint concerts. Believe me, Belarus has a lot to offer to the World, as art, and sometimes not by right these formations remain unnoticed on the world stage. Likewise, I have no right to speak for them, perhaps they wish so themselves.
13.How were your beginnings in music: first concerts you attended, first albums you bought? What happened in your lives pushed you to want to be musicians?
Well, we're pretty different. Each member has a different experience. Nevertheless, I'm sure that each of us has a moment of rejection from this world. It certainly has an impact. A desire to walk a different path than the one that most people choose, and a society that disgusts us. With the endless search for profit, imaginary power and might, the exaggeration of their dignity and importance. We are disgusted by what is happening in the World. We want to open the eyes of the lost, to cleanse this place of filth, to give them another world, a new one for them. To turn their eyes to the hidden and beautiful side, whose name is Darkness. But, only to those who really deserve it to be happen.
14. What album represents for you the essence of black metal? What last albums have you bought?
When it comes to the essence of Black Metal, without a doubt it would be the Watain - The Wild Hunt album. Don't ask why it's this one. Just give it a listen. There are also many names that are worthy of this title, but you asked for one. And that's the first and last thing that comes to mind. The pinnacle of art at the moment, for me personally.
The last album I bought...
Immortal. War Against All, looking forward to it. Abbath is really good on the first single.
15. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for Ciemra fans this is the place. I hope the questions are to your liking.
Thank you so much for these questions. We really enjoyed answering them. Lots of good memories. Thanks fot keeping Black Metal alive.
Let the Darkness embrace you!
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Bishop Of Hexen – Archives Of An Enchanted Philosophy 23,99 €
jueves, 23 de marzo de 2023
HELLCRASH
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- Nightkiller Batería
- Skullcrusher Bajo
- Ready to Burn in Hell Demo 2013
- Forces / Hellcrash Split 2015
- Heavy Metal Inferno Demo 2015
- Krvcifix Invertör CD 2021
- Hell & Sulphur Split 2022
- Okkvlthammer Single 2023
- Demonic Assassinatiön CD 2023
