UADA

 CRESPUSCULE NATURA (2023)

Ya tenemos con nosotros el cuarto álbum de los estadounidenses, un álbum que vuelve a confirmar a Uada como un ente diferenciador dentro de la escena del USBM y que mantiene el pulso entre sus fans más acérrimos. con una propuesta reconocible, al mismo tiempo que ingrata con el oyente más tradicional dentro del black, Uada desgrana en estos cinco temas su sonido característico, con algunas salvedades, como puede ser un carácter a lo mejor más directo que nos sorprende desde el comienzo. Uada sigue conservando esa capacidad dentro de su sonido de sonar poderosos y directo, no exentos de cierta violencia, al mismo tiempo que el entramado de guitarras ofrece un pronunciado contraste entre las partes más crudas y directas y una habilidad innata de logar colar líneas melódicas, primero en un segundo plano para luego cobrar mayor protagonismo, ofreciendo un carácter más melancólico en los temas al amparo de una carga mucho más agresiva y visceral. Lo mismo se pude decir de la batería, empleándose a fondo en una vertiente directa y violenta, sin descuidar esos pasajes de ritmo más lento en donde el sonido fluye hacia terrenos no ya sólo melódicos, sino que casi que ambientales. Las voces adoptan una faceta mucho más profunda y directa en la mayoría del álbum, logrando una mayor contundencia y empaque sin descuidar terrenos que pueden sonar más melódicos. Uada gusta de los desarrollos y la fluidez de partes meramente instrumentales, no reniegan de un alto minutaje en sus temas, y ahí es donde la bandas se siente más a gustos, fundiéndonos en pasajes instrumentales en donde las guitaras escupen riffs directos con esa melodía a la cual nos tienen acostumbrados, para reventar en pasajes más violentos, una vez que el oyente se ha dejado mecer en esos ecléticos desarrollos de los temas. Si estás familiarizado con el sonido e Uada este álbum no defraudara, tal vez más directo que sus predecesores, pero del todo inmersivo en un estilo oscuro, siniestro y melódico. (8,2).

Eisenwald

1. The Abyss Gazing Back 07:50

  In the light of Lucifer's fire I am but a shadow of God:

No sanctity below, nor divinity behind.

Cast out; fallen and risen, here is where I continue my maraud:

For all within ourselves is what we must find.

Grandest gateways illuminate before me, through my own embodiment of thought:

Expanding endlessly in the caverns of the mind

Lower me into your deepest depths so that I may know what to rise upon:

Let us ascend beyond the seraph's site.

Night fall beneath our hooves to heave us into the highest echelon:

darkest chasm shine forever bright

It is here where providence is provided by all within the pantheon:

So shall we be no longer devoid of light

Stare into me

As I have stared into you

Shift us towards infinity

Dark matter guide us through

Unto the adumbral portal

Awaiting the end to begin

Where the lifeless become immortal

The only way out is in

2. Crepuscule Natura 06:38

Alone in the dark, where I stare at the stars communicating deeply from an open heart The scattered pieces never laid afar for all the answers begin when you decide to start Thinketh within thy soul for you shall be and be it thy existence for you shall reap Directly ask and you shall receive simply try but first you must believe What's been forebode has all been told by Twilight nature Knowledge and wealth; law unto self: it is Twilight nature Out of the storm conquerors are born from Twilight nature Mentally see what you wish to be within Twilight nature   

3. The Dark (Winter) 07:31

Out of the silent spring we fall unprepared for the darkest winter of all Blindly marching to the rhythm of the beat progression botching, watching history repeat Misinformation flooding through the controlled flow like misguided fables from the sleeping woke For the fictions of science will always come to be what we will know as our prevailing reality Another mutation now looming in the air No shots need fired though bioterror-warfare And the threats of disease is what we come to defend observing essential institutions cascading to their end And may they choke on their preferred words of conspiracy those opened mouths eating out of the hands of tyranny We will never know what it truly means to be free for behind the house of cards awaits us our hanging tree Draconian simulation Clandestine operation Hunger and despair Poison in the air Miasmic injection Carnal infection And they attack those that they once sworn to protect knowing in time our minds again would soon just forget the gravity of what is our existential threat for it is the dead who may no longer collect a debt  

4. Retraversing the Void 07:44

  Intertwined skies, accomplice of the stars

from the burning earth to the red sands of Mars

We of all things light and dark

flesh and blood; the interstellar mark

Opposing force: gravity's magnetic pull

upon distant peaks where we drink until we're full

Nautical black oceans above and below

submerged between the inner and outer flow

Within our scars the mass and within the mass our scars

We are all an individual universe

an endless sea of galaxies travelling through the multiverse

discovering the secrets we've always known

visually connecting the atoms of our own

Consciousness grows within the space between but the mind must comprehend what it is the eyes have seen

Through enlightenment the shadows will return

to ignite us with the fire's endless burn

Within the stars our blood and within our blood the stars

…within our blood the stars…

Erase away all that ever was

open the gates; embrace the greatest flood

distant particles now becoming one

Surya and Soma: The moon and the sun

Supreme concept of the continuum

empyrean fragments in equilibrium

fulfillment through mother nature's laws

we are all the substance that is and ever was

Within our blood the stars

5. Through the Wax and Through the Wane 12:03

   My moon is air

and my star of fire,

below I burn

so my ashes may continue higher

Oh, coldest night

grant me clearest sight

to grow out of your shadow

and be exposed in your searing light

Once treading against

now marching apart

clenching teeth

holding the dagger to my heart

Cognitive decline

one must set in order to arise

wisdom be within these wounds

for I will be my greatest sacrifice

A point in time where there is no time

home again from orbiting the earth

eclipse the path to those who unwind

wander into the infinite worth

Sow the seeds of the absolute

unveil the methods of liberation

resurging from the craters of the moon

thoughts; projections of a coming creation

Through the wax and through the wane

life's greatest teacher is always pain

The odysseys of you and me

it is ourselves we must reclaim

And to remain without disdain

seek higher ground: a new terrain

So close the eyes and visualize

for there is only knowledge left to gain

  41:46

Witchery ‎– In His Infernal Majesty's Service (white vinyl. Limited to 100 copies) 37,99 €

Issued on 180g white vinyl in gatefold jacket. Limited to 100 copies.

Issued with a hype sticker glued on foil and a double-sided printed innersleeve

BLACK PESTILENCE

 CHAOTIC WISDOM (2023)

Séptimo trabajo ya para los canadienses, consiguiendo una vez más conquistarnos con ese sonido black ennegrecido en donde se dan citas otros estilos como el thrash, capaces a si mismo, de en medio de ese sonido podrido que florezcan algunas melodías, al mismo tiempo que el nuevo álbum nos trae algunas novedades, como pueden ser ciertas pinceladas de sonidos industriales, elementos disonantes y un tono de batería adicional. Si es del todo cierto que en el pasado el sonido de Black Pestilence podía acercarse más a una vertiente de black thrash, en este nuevo álbum el sonido es mucho más contundente, sumergiéndonos en un espiral de violencia y oscuridad de la mano de unos ritmos bastante elevados y un sonido mucho más directo y limpio. Tal vez el peso de esos sonidos más ochenteros han perdido cierto protagonismo, aún presentes si, pero en un tono mucho más pulido, sin embargo hay desarrollos en algunos temas que exploran terrenos mucho más rock de una forma mucho más descarada. El álbum hace gala de un poderoso sonido, esa doble faceta en el batería logra trasmitir una propuesta mucho más poderosa ofreciendo un tono mucho más oscuro, algunas pinceladas de sonido industriales van también acrecentando ese poso de contundencia en el resultado final del álbum, sin olvidarnos de ciertas disonancias que van haciendo acto presencia, con un peso más importante que en el pasado, que muchas veces rompen con el tono más lineal de las composiciones. Las voces se emplean a fondo, con tintes de oscuridad, con un tono mucho más de blackened, facilitando también una faceta mucho más profunda y oscura. Los canadienses siguen con cada nuevo trabajo ampliando las fronteras de su estilo, con un ojo puesto en la parte más tradicional del genero, pero también con un buen puñado de elementos que poco a poco logran sonar más actuales, dando lugar a un sonido jugoso en cuanto a influencias. (7,7).

Voices of the Ainur

1. Mortal Rift 03:29  

2. A Life of Evil 03:06  

3. The Devil's Connection 03:29  

4. Chaos and Carnality 03:18  

5. Aspect of Darkness 03:06  

6. Infernal Might 02:35  

7. Animus 05:50  

  24:53

Suidakra ‎– Wolfbite 26,99 €

Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo

HURONIAN

 

Origen: Italia, Modena.

Formados: 2020

Estilo: Black, death melódico

Temática: Horror existencial y pesadillas

Enlaces: Facebook e instagram

Miembros:

• Aléxandros Karábelas Bajo
• DL Voces
• MM Batería
• UMP Guitarra y teclados

Discografía:

• Huronian EP 2020  
• As Cold as a Stranger Sunset CD 2021  
• Beyond Frozen Heights EP 2023

BEYOND FROZEN HEIGHTS (2023)

Cinco nuevos temas contiene el nuevo Ep de los italianos Huronian, una banda que nunca a negado la influencia en su sonido del black y del death melódico, con una influencia clara de bandas como Dissection. Cinco temas que no dejarán indiferente al oyente con su mezcla de black y death melódico a partes iguales con una linea tan fina entre ambos que muchas veces el oyente es incapaz de discernir entre uno y otro. No es menos cierto que si las influencias del black del sonido de los italiano hay que buscarlas en bandas de los noventa como los anteriormente mencionados Dissection, no lo es menos que el death bebe de la escuela sueca de principios de este siglo. El sonido del álbum es directo y frío, con una batería endiabladamente directa y rápida, marcando un ritmo demoledor a base de un doble bombo de sonido profundo y denso. Por su parte las guitarras forman un entramado de riffs densos y veloces, ofreciendo en los pasajes con menor presencia de voces un buen número de inspirados riffs, con un ojo puesto en un sonido mucho más tradicional dentro del black melódico, pero que se desatan con furia cuando se adentran por facetas más death, eso si, logrando que en medio de ese sonido violento, hagan acto de aparición un tono melódico que acaba por cobrar un inusitado protagonismo. En las voces podemos hablar de un estilo death en líneas generales, sin embargo DL poco a poco hace gala de recursos mucho más áridos y crudos que lo van acercando a una facete mucho más black. Cinco temas que hablan bien a la claras de una banda que logra fusionar black y death melódico a un alto nivel. (8,1).

Gruesome Records

1. The Guild (intro)  

2. Torturer's Creed  

3. Over Frozen Heights Pt. 1  

4. Over Frozen Heights Pt. 2  

5. Blazing Bolt of Hatred

Rites Of Thy Degringolade ‎– An Ode To Sin 17,99 €

Vinyl, LP, Album, Repress

MASSEN

 

Origen: Bielorrusia, Minsk

Formados: 2020

Estilo: Black sinfónico

Temática: ?

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

Miembros: 

• Aleerma Batería, guitarra, teclados y voces
• Kara Violin y voces

Discografía:

• Contraesthetic CD 2021  
• Chaos Leading to Harmony EP 2022  
• Gentle Brutality CD 2023

GENTLE BRUTALITY (2023)

Segunda entrega para este combo bielorruso, ahora afincado en Alemania, en donde nos ofrecen un sonido de metal sinfónico, que ya se dejaba entrever en su primer álbum y que ahora, en cierta forma, han venido a perfeccionar. El álbum es un perfecto ejercicio de diferentes intensidades, capaces ellos de ofrecer un sonido directo, con un ritmo alto de batería, riffs densos y una aporte a las voces que se presenta muy agresivo y contundente. Sin embargo el álbum disfruta de secciones en donde el ritmo se resiente a favor de un tono mucho más pausado, aquí es donde se hacen más presentes una atmósfera mucho más ambiental, intimista y por que no folk, cobrando mayor protagonismo las voces femeninas mucho más melódicas e intimistas, así como la presencia de un instrumento como el violín que ofrece un tono mucho más melódico. En general los temas son capaces de encontrar un equilibrio entre agresividad y melodía, haciendo acopio de un buen número de sonido sinfónicos, algunos industriales, que saben imprimir a la música un carácter mucho más profundo, sin embargo la dualidad existente entre estas partes y las otras en donde el sonido se muestra mucho más pausado y melódico acaba por construir un álbum repleto de contrastes y rico en matices, donde el peso del metal sinfónico es indudable, pero no lo es menos el saber rodearse de un tono mucho más melódico y ambiental, aspectos presentes tanto en el plano instrumental, como sin lugar a dudas en las voces, tal vez alejados de estándares el black sinfónico, pero ofreciendo un sonido metal muy trabajado. (8,1).

Apostasy Records

1. Energy System 07:25  

2. Corps de ballet 03:27  

3. Disgusted 05:56  

4. Together Alone 04:36  

5. Askoma (Sorethroat) 05:18  

6. Throwing the Stones 04:05  

7. Dym idzie (Smoke Is Going to the Sky) 04:05  

8. Our Melody Is Not Dead 06:39  

  41:31

Goatkraft – Angel Slaughter (white vinyl) 15,99 €

Vinyl, LP, Mini-Album, White w/Black Splatter

AGANTHROS

 

Origen: Finlandia, Jyväskylä

Formados: 2021

Estilo: Black experimental

Temática:?

Enlaces: Bandcamp, facebook, instagram y youtube

Miembros:

• A.K. Bajo
• J.V. Batería
• N.N. Voces
• O.V. Guitarra
• T.K. Guitarra y voces 

Discografía:

• Demo MMXXII Demo 2022  
• Syntiset saatanat kurjat CD 2023

SYNTISET SAATANAT KURJAT (2023)

Primera entrega para este quinteto finlandés, un primer álbum que tiene la virtud de no dejar indiferentes al oyente. "Ruttolapsi" es el encargado de abrir este "Syntiset saatanat kurjat", en el encontramos un inicio de guitarras y voces limpias de carácter evocador, casi que pagano, que pronto se ve superado por un sonido mucho más crudo, con abundantes riffs que muchas veces nos traen elementos tanto melódicos como atmosféricos. A partir de aquí podemos decir que un tono ambiguo en las composiciones se va apoderando del sonido, en el sentido de que existe un carácter de black  melódico que muchas veces cobra un tono agresivo y más directo, pero al mismo tiempo la banda sabe jugar con diferentes intensidades, manteniendo un sonido directo y crudo por momentos, aunque no es menos cierto que parece que todo se ve rodeado de una rabia contenida. Las voces saben ofrecer en líneas generales un tono bastante agresivo y directo, aunque secciones de carácter más limpio y pausado aparecen para dar un mayor peso a esa sensación de desazón que puebla el álbum. Agnathros también sabe ofrecer un enfoque muy logrado en aspectos como las diferentes intensidades, plasmados estos en un ritmo que puede sonar implacable a veces, para en otras dejarse mecer en terrenos mucho más lineales, aspectos que se pueden importar a las guitarras, con un buen número de riffs directos, pero que no hacen ascos a logras ofrecer algunas secciones que desarrollan aspectos más melódicos en su segundo plano, u ofreciendo un estilo mucho más experimental si lo que estamos buscando es un sonido más puramente black. Un álbum que logra en conjunto suena compacto e inmersivo, que con un carácter experimental en ciertas secciones logra ofrecer un buen puñado de sensaciones contrapuestas. (7,8).

Purity Through Fire

1. Ruttolapsi 04:44  

2. Sodoman valssi 06:48  

3. Veljet, kantakaa minut hautaan 05:29  

4. Avaruuden nurja puoli 06:11  

5. Ana 07:18  

6. Vieraiden askeleet 06:07  

7. Seitsemän miehen voima 03:47  

  40:24

Nexion – Seven Oracles 36,99 €

Transparent orange-black marble limited to 100 copies. Sound-Cave.com exclusive and on sale there only.

OUTERGODS - INTERVIEW

 Good afternoon, thank you very much for answering these questions. How is everything going in Nottingham?

Nathe – Everything is going well! The weather is nice and as usual, the Nottingham music scene is doing great.

1. At what point did you decide to create the band? Why did you choose the name Outergods and what does it refer to?

Nathe – I’ve been trying to form a band with this sort of extreme style for a while, probably as far back as 2018, and after a few iterations, I eventually created what would become Outergods with the help of Sam (vocalist). I chose the name as I’m a fan of cosmic horror/Lovecraft, and the is a subtle underlying theme of our music. The “outer gods” are cosmic deities in Lovecraftian lore, and more recently, Elden Ring. I just combined the two words for aesthetic reasons.

2. Has it been very difficult to work with a group of five musicians from the Nottingham area to finish off this first album? I say this because in the band there are musicians or more veterans than others and also different influences and musical styles present as death, black or grind. How was the way to compose and record this first album? what brands of instruments have you used for the process?

Nathe – It was a very straightforward process. The writing was done primarily by me and Sam, with Alex helping with the lead guitar parts. Because we all had the same vision of what we wanted, everything flowed pretty smoothly. I’d basically write and record a demo of a song and send it to Sam who’d sometimes give some feedback before writing the lyrics and vocal patterns. When we had a group of songs we liked, we’d record the final version of the songs. The guitar used (aside from the title track) was an LTD M-1000 Deluxe with EMG 81 and 85 pickups. The title track was recorded with a Charvel Joe Duplantier Signature Pro-Mod with Seymour Duncan Black Winter and Sentient pickups. I also used a Digitech whammy pedal for additional guitar effects and an Alesis Q49 for some of the electronic layers.

3. Intense, dark, and visceral, with a successful combination of styles such as black and death, the latter being the one that carries the greatest weight in the compositions, even with sections that can be reminiscent of grind, how would you define the sound of the album for Who hasn't heard it yet? What bands and styles are an influence for you when composing for Outergods?

Nathe – I’d probably class it as extreme metal, seeing as it has a lot of blackened death metal elements, but also grind. Some of the inspirations for the album, and us as a whole, are bands like Hate Eternal, Morbid Angel, Strapping Young Lad, Nile, and black metal bands, like 1349, Carpathian Forest, Belphegor, and Emperor.

4. Your lyrics seem to be focused on horror and nightmare themes, what inspires your lyrics and why do you address these themes?

Nathe – The lyrics, for the most part, are based around an idea of a personal hell, but woven in with dark fantasy and horror themes. However, there are some songs, like “Into The Howling Void”, “Catacombs Of Madness” and the title track which are purely cosmic horror/dark fantasy stories.

5. The album has been released by the American record label Prosthetic Records, a label with a focus on both death and black or other styles such as extreme metal. When did the opportunity arise to release your first album with them?

Nathe – I’ve been a fan of Prosthetic Records for a very long time. We were going to self-release this album, but I decided to send it over to Prosthetic Records in case they’d be interested in it. I had no expectations, though. But to our surprise, they responded and wanted to work with us. So, at the last minute, we cancelled our original plans and now we’re in a great partnership with Prosthetic!

6. The album cover has been created by Tim Sinfield and FetusK, who are these people and why did you decide to work with them? What does this cover represent and how does it relate to the content of the album?

Nathe – Tim Sinfield is my brother and has created the majority of the art for my music-related projects, so it made sense that Tim would do this cover, too. Tim basically did the entirety of our cover art and FetusK helped with the CD and vinyl layout. 

7. Although the production and mixing were done by you, for the mastering you went to Kristofer Strandberg from ES Music, why did you decide to work with Kristofer and what do you think he has contributed to the final sound result of the album?

Nathe – Kristofer is part of the Swedish metal band, Eyes Wide Open, and I’ve known him for about 5 years. He’s an incredible songwriter and producer. We’ve worked together before with my solo project, Lost Outrider, and when it came to looking at mastering this Outergods album I decided to get Kristofer to help as they have a great ear for production. I feel their mastering added an extra layer of clarity and helped glue it all together.

8. Although the album will be released soon, you have already started to offer some concerts, how is the response of the fans live towards your music? With all the intensity that your music gives off, is it difficult to capture it live? Do you consider it essential for a band to be able to offer concerts? 

Nathe – Phil Core of Torturous Promotions put us on our first show back in December 2022 and since then we’ve planned regular shows to get our name out there. We were even able to play Bloodstock Festival this year, which was an amazing experience. Due to the amount of experience all 5 of us have in the live scene, we have been able to do a faithful live recreation of these songs and the response has been great. In regard to how essential it is for a band to play live, I’m not sure. Some artists can put out records and become incredibly successful without even playing a single show, so I guess it varies. For us, we just love playing live.

9. The black scene in your country always seemed to be dominated by colossal bands with a long history, such as Cradle of Filth or Akercocke, among others, however for some time now it seems that the scene is becoming populated with a number of new bands, always with a more transgressive character within the scene, what do you think about the black metal scene in your country and which bands would you recommend?

Nathe – One of the best black metal bands in the UK is Abduction. The records they put out are consistently great and their live show is phenomenal. Another black metal band that was formed in Iran and is now based in the UK is Trivax. I’d suggest checking both these bands out.

10. How were your beginnings in music: the first concerts you attended, the first albums you bought? What happened in your life pushed you to want to be a musician?

Nathe – The first concert I went to (excluding seeing my dad’s band live as a kid) was Machine Head in late 2004, followed shortly after by Fear Factory. My parents bought me albums like Linkin Park and Nirvana when I was about 12. When I was about 13, I started getting albums from bands like Machine Head and Sepultura. I’d say it was probably my dad that pushed me to become a musician. He bought me a bass guitar and eventually, I moved to guitar.

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

Nathe – For me, the album that represents the essence of black metal is “Under A Funeral Moon” by Darkthrone, as it was the first black metal album I bought in my early teens and was what got me into the genre. I think the last album I bought was “Covenant” by Morbid Angel on vinyl.

12. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for Outergods fans this is the place. I hope the questions are to your liking.

Nathe – Thank you all for listening to our music and make sure you grab our album on vinyl!

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

Destructo ‎– Demonic Possession 17,99 €

Regular edition LP on black vinyl. come with 12x12" insert, poster, sticker, postcard and obi-strip

STARER - INTERVIEW

 Good afternoon, thank you very much for answering these questions, how is everything going in Bowling Green?

J - Things are going great here. Thanks for your interest in Starer and talking with me. 

1. Starer began its journey around the year 2020, as a one man band, around the figure of the musician Josh Hines, involved in countless projects. I suppose that deciding to create this new project would not be entirely easy to be involved in other bands? What importance do you give to Starer with respect to your other projects? Why the name Starer and what does it refer to?

J - I play in a black metal band called Bihargam and we recorded our last album in April 2020. After it wrapped up I started writing ideas for a third album but it was a pretty drastic change in direction. Once the keys were added I knew it had to be a different project. So Starer was born. Initially I wasn’t even sure I was going to release it but when I started pitching it to labels and Folkvangr was interested it really came alive. At this point Starer is at the top of my musical priorities right next to the full bands I play with. The name is a reference to one of my dogs, Sphyncus. She’s a street dog I rescued from Egypt and she has a pretty bizarre personality at times. She commonly just stands around staring at me or staring off in the distance like she’s a deep thinker. The name Stander was already being used by another band so I went with Starer. 

2. “Wind, Breeze, or Breath” is the third album for Starer, how do you approach the writing and recording process of each new Starer album? What do you think has changed in this new album? What brands of instruments do you use? in the process of writing and recording?

J - I think what it really boils down to for me is I’ve been playing music since the mid late 90s and I’ve dabbled in just about every genre I can think of. So I’ve got a lot of different influences to pull from and never really approach writing metal from a purely “metal” standpoint. I think the key to every project I have is finding a different way to channel emotions and mood. In terms of what’s changed, honestly not much. The album was completed probably close to a year ago. I usually have a pretty big headstart on the follow up album before the current album is released so I’ve been developing some of these ideas since late 2021. My second album was 4 songs ranging between 9-22 minutes so with this one I wanted to have more songs with shorter lengths. The idea was to go on the same type of journey but in a tighter time frame. So I set a goal that no song would go over 6 minutes and that’s where everything started with this album. For instruments I use a modified Telecaster, an Alvarez 5-string bass, my drums are an old Nighthawk kit, and a midi keyboard. With drums I demo a lot of it on my actual kit then sound replace them. Not everyone loves that method and sound but I don’t have a great setup for recording a full kit and I can’t afford a studio for as much as I do.  

3. Although Starer's style can roughly be described as symphonic black, there are different elements that bring it closer to raw black metal or atmospheric black structures as well. How would you describe the sound of your latest album for those who still don't have it? heard? What bands and styles are an influence for you?

J - I think the symphonic black tag is there based on having well developed keyboard parts in certain songs. Atmospheric is probably a closer fit for some of it but for me it’s really just an attempt at mixing post-rock with black metal. My overall influences are a bit all over the map. For black metal it’s a lot of the classic second wave bands like Emperor, Gorgoroth, Ulver and Immortal but the Immortal and Gorgoroth influences are probably heard more in Bihargam. For the “post” tag it comes more from Mogwai, Sigur Ros, Godspeed You Black Emperor, etc. 

4. The theme of your lyrics are related to philosophy, how do you approach a style like black metal towards philosophical grounds? Do the lyrics adapt to the music or vice versa?

J - The music comes first and then once I start working lyrics in the music will adapt. The philosophical approach is more of a theme or concept. I’m not putting in lyrics about a specific brand of philosophy. It’s more of a general philosophical outlook on existence. A lot of self reflection, introspective type stuff. 

5. Throughout Starer's career you have recorded a good number of singles that are versions of songs that may not be entirely related to black, such as the song "Zero" by The Smashing Pumpkins, you have even come to edit them all together in an Ep, how do you select the songs you want to cover and why are they important to you?

J - I grew up in America in the 90s when alternative rock and grunge were big. So the songs I’ve covered have been part of that influential time frame in my life. Songs that I love that aren’t metal but I felt would adapt well. I wanted to get one song from some of my favorite bands from that time period. I’ve got ideas for more but I’m not sure when I’ll get to them. I released them as singles when I did them because I had no intention of actually doing a covers album or EP. They got packaged together as an EP as a fundraiser for the animal shelter I volunteer for.

6. The importance that volunteering has for you when collaborating with associations against animal abuse is undeniable, with an important connection with Egypt, I even see that you have edited a book about a dog, how did this link with Egypt and abandoned dogs on the street? How did you approach writing the book? How important are your pets to you when it comes to understanding your way of life?

J - At my core I am fully an animal rights guy. I’ve been a vegetarian for about 21 years. I have no children and never plan to so my pets are my life. My connection to Egypt came from a trip I took to Cairo in 2010 where I found a street dog being beaten by kids on the sidewalk. I intervened and connected with her and eventually was able to get her sent to the USA. The experience changed my life in every way imaginable. That dog Sphyncus has been my guardian for 13 years and I’m absolutely terrified of what the future holds without her. She’s the dog that the name Starer came from and also the inspiration of the name Snow Wolf for my small record label. Through her I’ve become a volunteer for the ESMA shelter in Egypt and have visited Cairo numerous times working at the shelter and flying dogs to rescues. As an American being told “welcome home” by locals when I go to Egypt is a pretty wild thing to hear. So the book I wrote is the story of my life with my dog and the ESMA shelter from 2010 to 2017. It’s called Baladi: The Journey of an Egyptian Street Dog and it was published in 2021. Baladi is the Arabic word that translates to something like “local” so a baladi dog is essentially a local dog or stray. Writing that book was the most challenging and discouraging thing I’ve ever done. I only wrote it to try and draw attention to the animal issues in Egypt and all the money goes back to the shelter. It took years to get it published and all the rejections really took a toll on me. If it were something I was doing for myself I would have probably given up but since it was for the shelter I saw it through. I’m really proud of it. 

7. Adirondack Black Mass, Fiadh Productions and Fólkvangr Records have been in charge of the physical edition of the last album, how did the relationship with these record labels arise to carry out these editions? What importance do you give to a format like the cassette when it comes to offering your music?

J - Folkvangr is really who gave life to Starer. I was very much on the fence about releasing it so I owe a lot to him. He came in with cassettes on my first album (18° Below the Horizon) and I released the CDs on Snow Wolf. Folkvangr has stayed with me for cassettes on everything. I discovered Onism Productions through some label mates on Folkvangr and he was amazing to work with doing CDs for my second album (The What It Is To Be). Folkvangr put me in touch with Fiadh for a compilation she was doing and we became friends and decided to work together. She released this current album on CD and will likely release all future albums. With Adirondack Black Mass I pitched him my first album for a vinyl release shortly before my second album came out. So he’s playing catchup a bit with everything and vinyl factor delays certainly aren’t helping. He’s been great to work with and very supportive. I’ll be sticking with him for vinyl. As far as the importance of the formats I think having physical copies of something is really the only way to go. That’s probably my age showing but something that’s digital only doesn’t feel as real to me. So having all formats available is crucial since people prefer different things. With metal being based in the underground cassettes will always be relevant and feel natural.

8. Who designed the album cover, what does it represent and how does it relate to its content?

J - The cover is a picture I have of a man standing that I heavily photoshopped. It’s not AI or any nonsense like that. “Wind, Breeze, or Breath” is the literal translation in Ancient Greek for the word “aura.” The cover is the man with his aura around him that just so happens to look like he’s potentially on fire. I wanted it to have a hazy look to it to go with the album being based around lucid dreaming.

9. In a previous question, you commented on the weight of a philosophical aspect in your music, perhaps black metal arose as a rejection of the Catholic religion, taking refuge in Satanism to spread itself in some way, aspects that today, even being present, they have become somewhat obsolete, appearing, especially in one man bands, other incentives such as being able to publicize aspects related to the personality of the human being, their fears, their phobias, their psychology, their mental or personal disorders, do you think That today black metal is an escape route for many fans who find in music a way to escape from their problems? Do you think that one man bands have a spatial character and are different from a complete band?

J - I do think black metal is a perfect escape for troubled individuals and deep thinkers. It’s a super complex genre with a lot of offshoots that cover pretty much every emotion or mood. I'm an atheist so I have no interest in spending time and energy diving into organized religion for lyrics. Satanism clearly has its place in this genre and I have no issue with it but it won't be something I rehash with Starer. As far as one man bands go the freedom of total control over every angle, especially lyrics, is definitely different from full bands. With Bihargam I wrote the lyrics for all but one song on the first two albums and they were all sci-fi based. So somewhat of an "escape" from reality. Once the full band formed I relinquished the content to our vocalist and he's steering things in a different direction. And that's how a band should go. But with a solo act I get to keep a common thread through everything and keep whatever vision I want. In this case it's mostly the philosophy of simply existing. So rather than escaping reality it's dealing with it. 

10. What is the extreme metal scene like in a city like Bowling Green? Is there a possibility of taking Starer's music live in the form of a concert? Who would you like to share a mini tour with?

J - Bowling Green’s metal scene is very small and is mostly just an extended circle of the same people. However I do feel like it could be starting to grow a bit. I’m not sure that I would ever do Starer live. It would be a lot of work for other people to come in and learn the material. If the right opportunity ever presented itself I would have to consider it. As far as who I’d like to tour with the easy answer would be some heroes like Emperor or Immortal or Iron Maiden but I’d also like to tour with people I actually know and am friends with. I play bass in Primeval Well and we did a show with Panopticon earlier this year and we’ve become good friends with Austin. We may be doing some more shows together next year and if so that will be a lot of fun. That type of environment is ideal. 

11. How were your beginnings in music: first concerts you attended, first albums you bought? What event in your life pushed you to want to be a musician?

J - Most of my early interests in music were inspired by my older brother. He would get into things first and then I would be the tagalong younger sibling. So we were very into 80s glam metal and I believe Poison was my first concert when I was maybe around 8 or 9 years old. Our parents took us. Some of the first albums I bought would have been Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers tapes in the early 90s. It was seeing Flea play for the first time that made me want to play bass. I’m a bassist first before anything else. It’s by far my best instrument. Once I started playing with others and creating music it became a passion that’s never faded. 

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

J - A very generic answer would be In the Nightside Eclipse or De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas due to their historical significance but those are legacy answers. For me personally the essence of black metal feels more like Gaahl era Gorgoroth, which is also a legacy answer I suppose. The live shows they put on were intense and felt evil and dark. Gaahl is one of the most believable black metal vocalists in my opinion. Some of the most recent albums I’ve bought have been supporting my friends’ bands and labels. Mistral ‘In the Throes of Losing Love’ is a postblack masterpiece released by Folkvangr and Onism. Fire Messiah is producing super high quality blackened punk mixed with dungeon synth. I recently bought the entire Karnstein discography, some Planetary King Records releases, Fiadh is releasing a ton of great music and I personally love Burden and Victoria Hazemaze’s stuff, Orphans of Dusk ‘Spleen’ and Ghostwriter ‘An Endless Fire’ both on Folkvangr are two favorites of 2023, Opposite Devotion ‘Hesperus Phosphorus’ on Adirondack Black Mass. I’m a big fan of all the Moonlight Cypress Archetypes bands and anything Ryan Clackner plays on. Also a big fan of fellow Kentuckians Moonknight, Black Knife, Dread Maw, Brood in Black, Obsidian Shrine, and Sinistrum. Solt is a more recent discovery I highly recommend. I’ll buy anything Joe Caswell releases (olim, Burden of Ymir, etc). Vintergrav is a folk project I’m a big fan of. Huge fan of Akvan. I consume as much music as possible and I firmly believe in supporting your friends. 

13. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for Starer fans this is the place. I hope the questions are to your liking.

J - Thank you for reaching out about this. It’s been a fun discussion. I hope everyone checks out my music and some of the things I recommended. I’ve got plenty more coming.

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

Sexual Predator ‎– American Nightmare (Cassette Limited edition to 50 copies) 6,99 €

ALGHOL - INTERVIEW

1. Alghol started working around the year 2020, why did you decide to create the band? What does the name Alghol refer to and why did you decide to use it?

I actually started working on stuff for what would become Alghol at the beginning of 2019. Maybe earlier. I originally was trying to make more Death Metal oriented stuff in the vein of Thou Shalt Suffer. I've got a couple tunes from that time that I never released, although there are 3 copies of a tape floating around out there that have those tracks on them. But I started the project really just to see if I could pull it off. I've been a fan of extreme metal for the majority of my life, and a musician for even longer, but I had just never tried my hand at making this kind of stuff even though I've always wanted to. I also never really knew anybody else who was interested in playing Black Metal or Death Metal, and didn't think I'd be able to do it all myself. Listening to Mortician actually gave me the push I needed to try. The shameless use of the drum machine was quite inspiring as I can't drum to save my life haha. 

As for the name, Alghol is just a misspelling of "Algol," which is the name of a star, also commonly referred to as "The Demon Star." I came across the name in the Lovecraft story "Beyond the Wall of Sleep" and thought it would make for a cool band name. I found a couple other bands called Algol so I decided to put a silent "h" in the middle of mine to differentiate this project from the others.

2. After a split and an Ep in 2021, you released your first album "The Osseous Key" which will soon continue with the release of your second album "Night Eternal", what has the process of writing and recording the new album been like and what main differences may exist between the two releases? What brands of instruments have you used for this process?

My writing and recording process hasn't changed a whole lot since "Forgotten Paths." It has certainly become more refined, and I'm always working on finding ways to improve my flow, but the overall process is essentially the same. The writing and recording processes are deeply intertwined for me. Since I don't have a band to work stuff out with, I write and record simultaneously. I usually start by writing a guitar riff, then record it, and build drums and the rest of the song around it. Once I have a basic structure of the song, I will go in and do a bunch of editing and keep tweaking it until I'm happy with the end result. Once I have the music all recorded, I will write lyrics and then go in and record vocals. I'll usually keep tweaking stuff and adding little finishing touches after that too. 

I think the main difference between the releases is the overall quality. With each release I try to show some form of progression, whether it's improved production value or better riffs and synth hooks. I basically just try to out-do the previous release, and I think with "Night Eternal" I managed to pull that off. For me, it's a step closer to the sound I'm aiming for with this project. The production is a little cleaner, the riffs are catchier, as are the synth hooks, and I think the storyline and lyrics fit nicely with everything else. I had a friend tell me it sounds like a more "mature" version of "The Osseous Key" which I think is a great way to explain it.

On "Night Eternal" I used a wider variety of guitars than on "The Osseous Key". I've got a Gibson Explorer that is my go-to guitar, but also a custom built Star from Black 35 Guitars that I absolutely love. I've got a LTD Black Metal Arrow which is an incredible guitar, especially for the price, a Legion Nihilist, and a Gibson Les Paul, and all of those make some sort of appearances on the new album. And then of course, I used a variety of virtual instruments. If anyone wants to go deeper into my gear and recording setup, I'm always happy to chat about that kind of stuff on Instagram or in an email.

3. From my point of view, in this new album he continues to delve into the roots of second wave black metal, with a taste for darkness and certain melodies, however he has also managed to add his own elements such as the presence of synthesizers, elements that can have progressive influences. How would you describe the sound of the album for those who haven't heard it yet? What bands and styles have influenced the sound of this new album?

I'm not exactly sure how to describe the sound other than just calling it Black Metal. I don't think it necessarily fits into any singular subgenre or anything. It's just my own interpretation of what Black Metal is. It is absolutely influenced by a lot of the classic Second Wave bands, particularly the Scandinavian bands like Dissection, Satyricon, and Windir. Like I said before, the production is a little cleaner, but not overdone I think. It's definitely heavy, but with a primary focus on creating catchy melodies. If anything, I'd say it's got a kind of creepy, almost Scooby-Doo type feel to it if that makes any sense haha.

4. In principle, the lyrics of the songs deal with themes with a fantasy component, far from the stereotypes of the genre. Can you elaborate a bit about where you get the ideas for the themes of your lyrics and why you consider it important to deal with them? Do the lyrics adapt to the music or vice versa?

With lyrics, I've always really liked artists that tell stories. For this project, my primary lyrical influences are King Diamond, Ghoul, and Jimmy Buffett. I love the storytelling that King Diamond and Buffett do, and Ghoul does it as well but also do a lot of world building which I think is super cool. It's all stuff that you can really immerse yourself in, and my goal with Alghol is to try to emulate that. There's definitely a heavy dose of escapism in all of it too which I think is important. Being able to sit down and fully immerse yourself in an album for 40 minutes and sort of tune out real life is something that I know I find helpful and enjoyable. It's good to take breaks and reboot now and again haha. 

Inspiration for the lyrics and storylines comes from all over the place. For example, the idea for the "Night Eternal" storyline started with this sick Witch Doctor Tiki Mug I have, and then I refined it a bit with some help from the book "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad. There's all sorts of other influences, but those are the main ones. It really just comes from whatever I happen to be interested in at the time. I'm not really sure if the music adapts to the lyrics or the lyrics adapt to the music. I think probably a little bit of both.

5. Although the entire recording process has been done on your own, it is true that for the final touch of the mastering you worked with Dan Randall from Mammoth Sound Mastering, at what point did you consider taking out all the work you did with the recording yourself and what facets were more complicated for you? Why did you decide to work with Dan Randall and what do you think he has contributed to the final result of the album?

I decided to work with Dan this time around because I don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to mastering. I've got a much better idea of what's going on with respect to recording, producing, and mixing, but mastering is really its own beast. I figured it was time to enlist the help of a professional because I wanted this album to sound as good as it could, and Dan absolutely made that possible. Dan actually lives near me and was recommended to me by my friend who runs the label Out of Season. He's a super talented mastering engineer, a rad dude, and a hell of a guitar player. I would 100% recommend anyone looking for mastering to hit up Dan at Mammoth Sound.

6. The album has been self-released in various formats and on vinyl by the Swiss record label Black Occult, just like the first album. How did the possibility of doing a vinyl edition with them come about? How important do you think a format like cassette is today when it comes to offering your music?

"Night Eternal" will actually be the third vinyl release I've done with Black Occult. The "Forgotten Paths" LPs were the first Black Occult release ever I think. But I met the guy who runs it on Instagram when I was just starting out. He bought a "Forgotten Paths" tape from me and we've been friends ever since. I'm super grateful he likes my music enough and trusts me enough to put my stuff out on vinyl, especially since having my music on vinyl has always been a dream of mine. He's also just a blast to work with and does a really great job on his releases. The quality on all the records we've done together has been top notch.

I personally really like cassettes. I make sure every release I do has a tape option. I think they're just as important as any other physical copies. Some people are into CDs, some are into tapes, some into records. I like to have all of them available so people can get my music on whatever their preferred format is. The tapes I did for "Night Eternal" are going to be super cool too. Anyone into collecting tapes should absolutely check them out. 

7. Logan Hamilton has done the artwork for the album, why did you decide to work with Logan? What does the cover represent and how does it relate to the content of the album?

As far as I'm concerned, Logan is basically a band member at this point haha. He doesn't play any instruments, but he is without a doubt the visual aspect of this project. We started working together for the art on "The Osseous Key" and had been friends before that. He also runs Grim Graphics which is his screen printing business, so he does all my merch as well. I highly recommend checking out his shop. He works with a ton of great bands, and just makes some really high quality stuff. But whenever we do anything together, I typically will send him all the music and lyrics, and if I have any vague ideas of what I might be looking for, I'll let him know those as well, but then I just let him do his thing. He's an incredibly talented artist and his style really compliments the music I make. At this point I pretty much trust him blindly to come up with something awesome whenever I need art haha. He's also just a super rad dude to work with and always down to toss back some beers haha.

The cover art he did for "Night Eternal" depicts The Heart of Darkness, which is the object the whole journey is based around. I could go more into the storyline, but if anyone is really interested, I suggest they listen to the album and read along with the lyrics. That'll be much better than any sort of summarized explanation I could give here haha.

8. Is there the possibility of getting to offer a concert with Alghol thanks to the participation of other musicians?

I've actually been toying with the idea of putting together a live lineup for some one-off shows but I don't have any concrete plans yet. It's definitely not impossible though haha.

9. Nowadays, the USA has a solid black metal scene, whether we are talking about bands themselves or those one man bands, a fact that previously was not so developed, especially due to the predominance of bands and styles such as death, what do you think about the black metal scene in your country today?

I think the Black Metal scene in the states has definitely come a long way. I mean, of course there are those bands like Judas Iscariot, Leviathan, Xasthur, or Profantica, who have been around forever, but I think there's definitely some really solid stuff coming out of the States these days as well. I also think that geography matters a lot less these days thanks to the internet and all the advances in music technology. Pretty much anyone from anywhere can put together a good release with pretty minimal equipment, and with social media and what not, a scene is no longer limited to the area bands are located in. The fact that there's a whole instagram black metal scene just kind of goes to show that. 

10. How were your beginnings in music: first concerts you attended, first albums you bought? What event in your life pushed you to want to be a musician?

I'm not sure exactly what it was that kicked off my interest in being a musician, but it happened early on. I grew up skateboarding, and there's definitely a link between music and skating, so that probably had something to do with it. I started off listening to skate punk type stuff and whatever else was on the Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtracks, and then started getting into classic rock when I was like 10 or 11. From there I started getting into bands like Iron Maiden and Motorhead, and then I remember an older kid at school showing me Dragonforce's album "Sonic Firestorm" and that kind of bridged the gap from more classic Metal type stuff into the more extreme styles. Shortly after I found Dragonforce, I found Dimmu Borgir and heard all the stories about the Norwegian Black Metal scene and then it was game over haha. I was hooked from then on.

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

"Storm of the Light's Bane" by Dissection is the perfect Black Metal album in my mind. It was definitely one of the first Black Metal albums I got really heavily into. There are definitely plenty of others that I think really capture the essential Black Metal sound and convey the kind of emotion I look for in Black Metal, but "Storm of the Light's Bane" does it best I think. I think the most recent album I bought was Fomóraigh by Dratna, and that's a great album. I highly recommend it.

12. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for Alghol fans this is the place. I hope the questions are to your liking.

Thanks for the opportunity! I really enjoyed answering these questions! The only other thing I can think to say is go check out the new album!

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

Battle Dagorath ‎– Abyss Horizons 23,99 €

Second press in aqua blue/grey vinyl.

Limited to 100 copies.

Includes a 12" x 24" foldout artwork & lyric/credit insert included.