miércoles, 31 de enero de 2024

HAIL CONJURER

 


Origen: Finlandia, Helsinki

Formados: 2017

Estilo: Black

Temática:?

Enlaces: Bandcampfacebookinstagram y youtube

Miembros:

  • Hail Conjurer Todo
Discografía:

  • Heaven Piercing Phallos Demo 2017  
  • Manifests of Will Demo 2017  
  • Dreams of Serpent CD 2018  
  • Heaven Piercing Phallos / Manifests of Will Recopilatorio 2018  
  • Decadence EP 2019  
  • Erotic Hell CD 2019  
  • Ceremonial Torture / Hail Conjurer Split 2019  
  • Crude Magick Recopilatorio 2020  
  • Death Meditation / Disrobed for the Devil Split 2020  
  • Carnal Light CD 2020  
  • Hail Conjurer Recopilatorio 2020  
  • Prime Instrument Under Satan Single 2021  
  • Hail & Fire CD 2021  
  • Sinister CD 2021  
  • Maailmansyöjä Split 2022  
  • Anti-Dualist Demo 2022  
  • Lunar Action Demo 2022  
  • Earth Penetration CD 2022
  • Mountain of God Split 2023  
  • Ouroboros Lust CD 2023
  • Trident and Vision Split 2023  
  • Satanic Phenomenology CD 2024
  • Trident Vision Live Split 2024
SATANIC PHENOMENOLOGY (2024)
Octava entrega para este proyecto fines, en activo desde 2017, dejando en cada nuevo trabajo un regusto a sonido clásico y a una visión muy personal del género. Nueve nuevos temas que por un lado recogen al esencia del género en al década de los ochenta de la mano de un sonido black/doom, que sin embargo para la ocasión también logra traernos ciertas reminiscencias de un sonido black de corte melódico de comienzos de los noventa. Sin embargo las one man bands siempre ofrecen un enfoque muy personal al sonido que entregan y en este álbum hay que destacar una buena dosis de secciones de corte ambiental que solo sirven para acrecentar la sensación de ocultismo y ritualismo que rodean a los temas, no sólo ya por un ben puñado de arreglos de corte fúnebre y mortecino , sino también por las voces, capaces de sumergirnos en un ambiente lúgubre y desolador, enfocado todo ello hacia un satanismo que late en cada segundo de este álbum. El sonido ofrece elementos que rozan lo experimental, pero siempre manteniendo un tono digamos que lofi y underground, recreándose en pasajes instrumentales que crean una sensación tanto de vacío como de inquietud que cuando viran hacia terrenos más metal se muestran implacables tanto en las secciones más directas que suenan demoledoras, como en aquellas más lentas, donde unos riffs implacables van desgranando un sonido mucho más doom que acaba por impregnar el resultado final del álbum. La propuesta de Hail Conjurer siempre ha sido digna de tener en cuenta, sin embargo este octavo álbum marca la madurez del proyecto y el equilibrio entre sonidos clásicos y al visión de del género de un músico como H.K. (7.8).



1. Power. Will. Hail 02:32  
2. Demonic Cover of Earth 03:43  
3. Numinous 02:25  
4. Cipher 03:27  
5. Nox 03:05  
6. Katharsis 03:25  
7. Käärmeen ylistys 02:17  
8. Fiery Serpent 05:12  
9. Ritus Paganus 09:42  
  35:48









domingo, 28 de enero de 2024

THROAT

 


Origen: Polonia

Formados: 2019

Estilo: Black

Temática: Diablo, ocultismo y posesión

Enlaces: ?

Miembros:

  • DC Batería y guitarra
  • TP Bajo
  • WS Voces
Discografía:

  • New Flesh Nectar Demo 2020
  • Blood Exaltation EP 2024
BLOOD EXALTATION (2024)
Ep de cuatro temas de los cuales realmente como nuevos solo son dos, ya que el Ep se completa con los temas de su demo inicial, para una banda polacofinlandesa de sonidos oscuros y ocultistas. El EP arranca con un sonido de guitarra y bajo denso y podrido, lodoso muchas veces, cavernoso otras, demoledor en líneas generales que marca la profundidad y la oscuridad del sonido de todo el EP. El sonido de batería también se muestra pesado y demoledor, a pesar de ello, logra muchas veces adentrarse en ritmo vertiginosos, cuando esto sucede asistimos a un apestoso y cargado ambiente ritualista. Las voces WS son totalmente acordes con ese componente ocultista del EP, con una dosis de oscuridad y ritualismo pocas veces lograda antaño, con un tono profundo que muchas veces raya en al posesión. Hay que destacar que los dos nuevos temas gozan de una producción mucho más robusta, sonando mucho más potentes y compactos, sin embargo los antiguos no gozan de esta buena producción pero si que nos atrapan con un componente más raw y con ciertas influencias punk. El Ep se ve completado con algunos sonido ambient que sirven para sumergirnos más en la temática del mismo, logrando una sensación muy realista a la hora de dejarnos sumergir en su ambiente ocultista. (8,3).




1. Chuć 09:02  
2. Klątwa 06:56  
3. New Flesh Nectar I 08:57  
4. New Flesh Nectar II 07:27  
  32:22  






Vinyl, LP, Album





sábado, 27 de enero de 2024

THE INFERNAL SEA

 


Origen: U.K.

Formados: 2010

Estilo: Black

Temática: Anticristianismo, blasfemia, historia, nihilismo, oscuridad y pestilencia

Enlaces: Bandcampdeezerfacebookinstagramsoundcloudspotify y youtube

Miembros:

  • Chris Revett Bajo
  • Dean Lettice Voces
  • James Burke Batería
  • Jonathan Egmore Guitarra
Discografía:

  • Call of the Augur CD 2012  
  • The Crypt Sessions EP 2013
  • The Infernal Sea / Disinterred Split 2013  
  • Insidious Art and Serpentine Rites Split 2014  
  • Det svartner nå Single 2014  
  • The Great Mortality CD 2015  
  • Agents of Satan EP 2017  
  • Negotium Crucis Single 2020  
  • Befallen Order Single 2020  
  • Devoid of Fear Single 2020  
  • Negotium Crucis CD 2020
  • Apostle of Gehenna Single 2023  
  • Elixir of Death Single 2023  
  • Bastard of the East Single 2023  
  • Lord Abhorrent Single 2023  
  • Hellfenlic CD 2024
HELLFENLIC (2024)
En activo desde 2010, la banda inglesa llega a su curto larga duración, un trabajo que se centra en la historia de la caza de brujas y en la figura de Matthew Hopkins, logrando a lo largo de sus poco más de cuarenta y tres minutos sumergirnos en un ambientación oscura, fría y pagana. Con un sonido black que no renuncia a ciertas dosis de melodía arranca este trabajo en donde la banda ha sabido cuidar tanto esos pasajes más directos de guitarras agresivas y un sonido de batería potente, como aquellos que ejercen de eje diferenciador en donde el ritmo se resiente pero existe un trabajo de guitarras mucho más elaborado con secciones que tanto se adentran por un terreno más melódicos, como sobre todo aquellos que logran un carácter más evocador a la hora de recrear esa ambientación del siglo XVII y el asesinato de mujeres inocentes. El álbum es bastante dinámico en cuanto a sonido e influencias, la extensión de los temas permite que estilos como el heavy o el punk se encuentren también presentes, el uno cuando la melodía quiere hacer acto de presencia, el otro cuando el sonido se libra de cierto artificios, sin que en que ningún momento se resienta la ambientación. Las voces de Dean, importantes en cualquier álbum conceptual que se precie, siempre están presentes para poder ofrecer su visión de lo sucedido, sin sonar menos importantes que la instrumentación, a pesar de aflora muchas veces en medio de un poderosos sonido y perfectamente equilibradas en la mezcla. The Infernal Sea siempre han tenido presente en su música su historia local, si a ello le unimos la oscuridad y la frialdad de un estilo como el black, el resultado solo puede ser un álbum inmersivo en donde nos sentimos parte de la historia que nos cuenta. (8,3)



1. Lord Abhorrent 04:11  
 Speak now heretic
You dare to commit regicide
Against our King
A murder so callous

Impeach our sovereign
And in turn, bestow to him
False claim to his rightful place
On Britannia’s throne

I am the true Messiah
Master of your destruction
Begone, Lord Abhorrent

His evil will be done
Villainous utterance praised
Summoning elemental power
Unending greatness
A spell to crush the enemy
War rages against the Church
Dare to cast aside God and worship the goat

Speak now witch
Make peace with your God
My Lord can’t save you
From bewitchment

Blackened angel
Forever fallen you let him in
Faith is failing
Your soul ailing
In your darkest hour
Resist temptation
Resist Satan
Begone

I am the true Messiah
Master of your destruction
Begone, Lord Abhorrent
2. Shadow of the Beast 05:02
Forever in the shadow of the beast Entombed in his darkness Grand Master of deceit Sadistic angel of death Our Lord is displeased Satan wielding raw power Enlisting the weak The true servants of Baphomet Submit to sin Transference of sanity between Realms of holy and demonic We must remain vigilant And deny his very existence A millenia dormant Waiting to strike Gates of Hell, open Your end is nigh Forever in the shadow of the beast Entombed in his darkness Grand Master of deceit Sadistic angel of death Vengeful serpent besets the night Nefarious warrior Fear the Dark Lord Fear Him, bringer of death  
3. Witchfinder 05:57
 No escape from the hunt
The inquisition has begun
Unjust methods of extraction
The work of a masochist

Forgive us our trespasses
The words of wisdom
Satan be banished
In mortality the spell can be broken
A familiar in league with a witch
A covenant with the devil
Confess to your crimes
A trial by gallows

Release the host
As I am your Saviour
Now you must leave
Return the flesh to Christ

Read aloud our scripture
The Lord's Prayer must be heard
Confess to your foul crimes

Release the host
As I am your Saviour
Now you must leave
Return the flesh to Christ

Hang The witch

Forgive us our trespasses
The words of wisdom
Satan be banished
Only in mortality can the spell be broken
4. The Hunter 04:37
  I believe in God
But he no longer believes in you
Failure, judgement in heaven awaits

I stand not for heresy
I stand as one with God
I will purge the Fens

Let your death be a warning
To all human vermin
I’ll hang you, bastard
Until you’re fucking dead

Lead not into temptation
I seek your redemption
The guilty hang for their crimes
Stand not for heresy
I stand as one with God
I will purify the east

Lifeless carcass
Hanging in silence
A stark reminder
Of the consequences

You shall hang
For your barbarity
By God's divine instruction
To stem the spread of evil
Cleansed with the blood of the lamb
My word is law
Your fate within my hands
You stand before this holy court
Guilty of your crimes

Let your death be a warning
To all human vermin
I’ll hang you, bastard
Until you’re fucking dead

I believe in God
But he no longer believes in you
Failure, judgement in heaven awaits

I stand not for heresy
I stand as one with God
I will purify the Fens
5. Bastard of the East 05:28
I am the Bastard of the East Devoted to God Observe my warnings I am the Saviour of the Fens The Master of execution Sworn to eliminate (the beast) I am the sadistic hunter The Witchfinder General Kneel before vast greatness Embrace your salvation I shall extract your confession So fear me... PEASANT Fear the zealous Lord And fear your damnation May our Lord guard me From your foul deception Rotted soul, for purification I’ll sever the tongue of the demon I see corruption build within Your carnal desires Seduced by the Beast And birth his wretched spawn I am the Bastard of the East Devoted to God Observe my warnings I am the Saviour of the Fens The Master of execution Sworn to eliminate (the Beast) May our Lord guard me From your foul deception Rotted soul, for purification I’ll sever the tongue of the demon I see corruption build within Your carnal desires Seduced by the Beast And birth his wretched spawn Mark of Satan upon them Drown the witch God forgives a penitent soul You are all his children Forced repentance he will accept I stand with divine power As judge and executioner I sentence you to death May God have mercy on us all I am the saviour of the Fens And you will fear my name For I am Hopkins
6. Black Witchery 03:45
  From beyond the fields she hails
Eerie voices echo
Hateful whispers in the night
The coven bathes
In the twilight
The sabbat gathers
Devising malevolent plans
To pervert my Christian faith
Paranoia overwhelms me

My Lord protect me
Renounce this manifestation
Banished into Hell
I am your servant
I hear them call my name
I am cursed

Evil channelled towards me
A spirit sent to destroy
In my chamber the Bear takes form

My Lord protect me
Renounce this manifestation
Banished into Hell
I am your servant
I hear them call my name
I am cursed

This wretched beast, towers before me
The face of evil incarnate
Lord protect me
I am your servant
I hear them call my name
I am cursed by Black Witchery
7. Frozen Fen 05:22
I despise bastard-bearers Wenches birthing demonic spawn Dark familiars, inhuman! Released from a hellish tomb. Malevolent force be gone Invoke the dogma of Christ I enforce the Witchfinder Law I can feel the icy grip of the anti-God Starvation claims our young Dead in the Frozen Fen Malevolent force be gone Invoke the dogma of Christ I enforce the Witchfinder Law I witness the pain of the populace It will not consume me I am protector of the east I enforce the Witchfinder Law
8. Messenger of God 08:43  
  Destiny brought me to this place
A Messenger Of God
To extract confessions
of heresy and witchcraft
Rid the land of this plague
Evil shall not triumph
Rise up in the eradication
of the foul Coven

Head bowed in penance
The Lord has spoken
Speak ill of Christ
And suffer the consequences
You allowed the beast
To suckle at your teat
In league with Satan

Cancer at the heart of the Kingdom
Corrupting holy ways
Duty bound to purge the filth
To restore the faith

Your bear his markings
Prick the flesh
Expose the lies
Has the devil had use of your body
I demand to know
Which form did he appear
Do not lie to me
I will make you speak the truth
Or you die a traitor

You shall be burnt at the stake
Until flesh is stripped from bone
Ashes scattered to the wind
Long may you Suffer
  43:05












MÖRGHUUL

 


Origen: Rp. Cheac, Brno

Formados: 2019

Estilo: Blackened Thrash/Speed Metal

Temática: Anticristianismo, blasfemia y diablo.

Enlaces: Facebook y youtube

Miembros:

  • Adam Beneš Bajo
  • Dominik Šuchma Batería
  • Matěj Kunc Voces
  • Viktor Heža Guitarra
Discografía:

  • Justice by the Fire Single 2021  
  • The Beginning of Unholy Ride EP 2021  
  • Possessed by Demo Demo 2022  
  • Mefismoshfeles Single 2023  
  • Domination of the Beast CD 2024
 
DOMINATION FO THE BEAST (2024)
Álbum debut para los de Brno que llega cuatro años después de la fundación de la banda y en donde se nos ofrece un sonido black con muchas influencias thrash y speed de los años ochenta. Ocho temas construidos sobre unos afilados riffs de guitarra, con una intensidad y ritmos que tanto se adentran con furia en terrenos de violencia y agresividad como saben también trabajar secciones más lentas, todo ello rodeado de algunas acertadas melodías que traen al conjunto influencias de estilos como el punk. Las voces agudas de Matěj sólo hacen acentuar ese estilo retro de las composiciones, perfectamente fundidas con el apartado instrumental y trasportándonos a sonoridades de los ochenta que tengan que ver con el thrash o el speed. Ese carácter retro también se ve reflejado en  todo lo que tenga que ver con la producción del álbum, desde el sonido de batería, pasando por el sonido de la dupla bajo y guitarra, con riffs crudos que en un primer momento nos pueden sorprender con cierta simplicidad pero que encierran una buena dosis de elaboración, sobre todo cuando entra en juego el cambio de registro que le imprime el ritmo de batería. Perteneciente a ese sonido de nuevas bandaa que rinden tributo a sonidos de bandas ochenteras, influenciadas por el thrash y el speed, ciertas dosis de punk y mirando de reojo a un proto black, Mörghuul se las ha arreglado para parir un álbum que nos sumerge en esta escena, con nada que envidiar a otras bandas que llevan ya cierto tiempo rendidas a estos sonidos, ya que su propuesta suena todavía más autentica. (7,7). 





1. Intro  
2. Crypts of Thrashing Torment  
3. Crushing the Holy Scum  
4. Mefismoshfeles  
5. Slut Queen  
6. Priesthunt  
7. Omen  
8. Into the Coven





Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition





viernes, 26 de enero de 2024

LITOSTH

 


Origen: Brasil, Caxias do Sul

Formados: 2016

Estilo: Black melódico, death

Temática: Existencia

Enlaces: Facebookinstagramsoundcloud y youtube

Miembros:

  • Maicon Ristow Todos los instrumentos y voces
Discografía:

  • Universe of Me Single 2016  
  • Crossed Parallels of Self Refraction CD 2019  
  • Raven's Circle Single 2021  
  • Farther from the Sun CD 2022  
  • Cesariana CD 2024
CESARIANA (2024)
En activo desde 2016, el combo brasileño Litosth llega a su tercer larga duración, un álbum que recoge influencias del black más clásico pero que no puede negar las de otras como el rock o estilos progresivos al mismo tiempo que todo se ve rodeado de cierta épica. Ocho temas dan forma a este nuevo trabajo, cada uno de los cuales puede funcionar independientemente de forma perfecta, gracias entre otras cosas, a los diferentes matices que dan forma a cada tema y lo elaborado muchas veces del sonido. Comentaba anteriormente que Litoth se dejan influencia por un black de corte clásico, sobre todo presente cuando hablamos de una atmósfera fría y oscura que nos acompaña en todo el álbum , sin embargo a la alternancia de ritmos explosivos y más directos se ha hecho un trabajo importante en el entramado de guitarras, logrando un sonido muchas veces limpio que va dibujando un sonido que nos va meciendo en un muerte lenta, alternado ese tono melódico, ciertas influencias de otros estilos como el rock o el progresivo, pero que logran eclosionar en ese amiente entre épico y melódico anteriormente descrito. No hay que pasar por alto el sonido de batería, capaz de sonar demoledora donde es necesario, pero con un dinamismo perfecto a la hora de dar sustento a ese sonido mucho más lento y melódico. Por su parte las voces adoptan tal vez un tono mucho más directo, sin sonar oscuro del todo pero si con cierto carácter místico y sin perder de vista algo de melodía. Poco más se puede decir de un álbum que marca un punto de inflexión en la trayectoria de la banda, gracias a saber mantener un pulso de oscuridad y clasicismos, para al mismo tiempo adentrarse en una propuesta que recoge influencias de estilos más dispares para completar un álbum rico en matices, en donde la oscuridad y la melodía se ven reflejados. (7,6).




1. In Waves 06:00
  In the tower of reason I got lost
Seeking a home for my soul at any cost
But chaos was all that I found
So I chose to make it my ground.

Order is not what I crave
But the beauty of randomness of the waves,
Where unforeseeable eternity reigns,
And fate and life are unbound by chains.

This is where imagination runs wild,
where all of creation comes alive.
Horizons expand through the tiniest cracks,
and my mind becomes more flexible after all that.

All existence is in constant chaos,
demanding transformation
To find beauty in the wounds,
or to plead for rest all too soon.

Order is not what I crave
But the beauty of randomness of the waves,
Where unforeseeable eternity reigns,
And fate and life are unbound by chains.
2. Whipping Bottles 05:44
Once upon a time, there was a group of grapes hanging from the vines in a vineyard soon to be transformed into wine, the blood of living gods Among the grapes, there was one that stood out larger, more beautiful and more flavorful It boasted about its appearance and quality, and mocked the other grapes, smaller and less perfect. "What if all grapes were like me? Big, flavorful and superior! After all, justice must be served. The smaller ones must serve the superior." "O vinho sobe pelo labirinto de vidro como um mar noturno, se agrava sob suas lágrimas e a terra continua a beber" And so the sect of Caesar ordered. That smaller grapes be added by force. To serve the larger grapes. To serve the empire of the whites. And the senate speaks out and supports Caesar. Not a senator, but a grape as small as possible. Completely rotten and useless for the drink. With questionable speech, takes the side of the empire. The clusters and grains are segregated by the will of the elite. The beauty of a label hides the dirt in the blood wine How can a grape assume the role of a Caesar? When a Caesar will never assume the role of a grape? At the end of the great cycle, all grapes will be crushed Beautiful or ugly, bigger or smaller. All crushed in the same way, equally What matters is the taste of the blood.
3. Time Doesn´t Heal 06:23
I've heard that the traveler got tired of the road, It is excess. Now, learn to die, Take the eyes of a vulture and see what there is to see Tomorrow, tell me what you found anew. Time doesn't heal but teaches patience, To those who refuse to follow this lesson, A bitter medicine is prescribed by the doctor, The medicine for the sick is death. The dead are already buried, Or perhaps the poisoned arrow put them to sleep? Or maybe they dove into the sea? Either way, they sleep well down there. Time doesn't heal but teaches patience, To those who refuse to follow this lesson, A bitter medicine is prescribed by the doctor, The medicine for the sick is death. When in Rome, do as the Romans do Just as the French did in the Bastille, Man must observe the limits, Otherwise, the limits will observe man. And the last journey of a man comes with time, Just as the journey comes for the dog. I can't say when, but time knows everything, And the man and the dog will travel together. 
4. The Clay Messiah 06:18
Take a handful of minds like a handful of dirt. Choose the twisted, sick, and psychotic ones. Emulsify minds with promises, like water in clay. A putrid egregore of consciences in the form of slime. Dip your hands in the slime and mold the messiah, The image and likeness, reflection of the scum. Sing your hymns and wear your yellow tunics. Breed in dirt and flesh all your hate. A simple block of shit comes to life through words. A thousand lies have been sung a thousand times. Engrave the word of your people. SHEKER! For thou, Maharal, is also a slave now. And playing like a distorted god, create your puppet Adam, The image and likeness of the racist archetype. Not made from the dust of the earth, Nor from the sacred breath of life. Your artwork, inside out, sketched, now comes to life, Comes to life and takes all lives. Mine, yours, ours. And thus marched the colossus of dust And marched and stained with blood Lied and killed your beloved homeland. Your Golem's legacy is death and contempt. Even if you deny it, Maharal, death won for a cycle. It was not triumph, nor pride; it was war and torture. And for that old suffering people of yours, To whom you swore loyalty and servitude, Only remains to clean your filthy mess With the clumsy crimson water from the East. 
5. A Ofensa 05:40
Com sorrisos nos lábios, nós temos medo. Com flores na testa, nós temos medo. Quando o sol se põe, nós temos medo. E quando falamos, nós temos medo também. Nossas palavras não vão florescer Nos não fomos feitos para sobreviver Juntar todos os cacos em dores imensas Pois amar o outro é a maior das ofensas Enjaula os medos e enterra bem fundo Igual a tudo, do pó viemos ao mundo Somos a aberração e a atração deste show Carregamo a cruz que ninguém desejou E dentro desse corpo, quem é você? Um pano velho, imundo a mercê. Ou só um humano igual ao diabo? Um pária de deus ou anjo dourado? De olhos fechados, lábios são lábios Tem gosto de paz e o cheiro do céu. De olhos abertos, já dizem os sábios Só enxergamos ódio através desse véu. E polos opostos também devem se atrair Que seja pela palavra, ou até o sistema ruir O amor é um furacão envolto em um arco-íris. Um homem caminhando em direção à tempestade.  
6. The Argonaut 06:02
  I walked towards the flames, and I knew
I had the definitions of pain etched on my skin.
As the flames of death's presence burned,
I was banished from a world between humans and worms.

I preach through the waves of cosmic dissonance.

I traverse the empty rooms of life
That no human eye perceives.
Counting to seven and returning to the beginning,
Whether it's a cycle or a path, hell is repetition.

I wandered, for these places are now mine,
The same ancient plagues and pests settle,
The poisonous seed of rejection flourishes.
I was forgotten by the offspring of the earth.

And they took my fruit and left me hungry,
While the highest walls crumbled to pieces,
I seek darkness amidst a false sense of light,
Serpents carry lanterns and crawl in limbo.

I speak through the dead languages of the universe.

Come closer, let me fall into you as you fall into me,
While no light will reveal the path you follow.
Embrace me now, and sink into the darkness with me,
Receive me now, and accept this burden as your guide.

And ascend to the black void, from the deepest seas,
Receive the sign of death with the utmost dignity.

I worship the catastrophe and the ruin of men.
7. Caesarean 05:29
Under the veil of night, the maternal bond lies, Desolation, a newly arrived fruit embraced. A regretful cry in the darkness echoes, "Why bring an innocent into this place?" A question arises on a newborn smile, "Is it fair to impose this painful fate on him? Take him out of peace and throw him to those lions That lurk to devour his purity." The astonishing guilt, the cry for redemption, But the answer is silence. An the mother trembles, "Should every mother have given birth to humanity? Or should we voluntarily extinguish ourselves?" Closed eyes and acceptance of the burden, Every life is a spark in a powder keg, And in the end, the blast is a torment's relief, The first and the last hug, the tighter one. At the end, a twisted gesture of love, The last resort to protect the ones you love, The world moves on, cold and regardless, And the two sparks rest side by side 
8. The Vaccum Extractor Paradigm 07:05
Born into a world I never chose, Fate thrust upon me, nobody knows, The burden of existence, a heavy load, A life of pain, a bitter road. The weight of life is crushing, An endless cycle of love and hate, We strive for meaning, for relief, But find only pain and unending grief. Why don't we have the choice to die, To leave behind this endless sigh, We cling to life as if it's all we know, But what lies beyond, we can not show, A fear of death, a fear of the unknown, A life of misery, a heart of stone. We strive for meaning, for relief, But find only pain and unending grief. Why must we suffer, endlessly try, A cruel fate, we cannot defy. The choice to live was never ours, A fate decided by unseen powers, We bear the weight of a life unasked, A burden too heavy, too much to be tasked Why don't we have the choice to die, To leave behind this endless sigh, Why must we suffer, endlessly try, A cruel fate, we cannot defy.  
  48:41





Vinyl, 7"





jueves, 25 de enero de 2024

MALIST - INTERVIEW



1. The project starts up around 2017, why did you decide to create the band? Why did you choose the name Malist and what does it refer to?

I started a band back when I was about to graduate from my university, and at some point my view of the band direction went somewhere else. I was getting into classic black metal at that point, and wanted to create something in that vein, but with all of my favorite music traits slightly exaggerated to emphasize my own approach to the genre.

The name Malist came to me when I was browsing through a dictionary, and found the term "malism", its meaning appeared close to my own views on the world. There is already a band that goes by the name Malism, so I chose Malist instead, as in, a follower of such beliefs.


2. In the period from 2019 to 2021, you released three albums, which contained a conceptual story. What inspired the creation of these three albums? What do you remember about this time of frenetic activity?

I was trying to conceptualize the band lore from the very beginning. It makes it easier to write the lyrics, and I was always a fan of dark fantasy settings. At first I wasn't planning on doing a trilogy - it all just came naturally. Composing music is a pastime I really enjoy.

In my opinion it's a common misunderstanding that a band needs at least a few years to come up with good music - it's the most convenient time frame for a touring band, yes, because they simply don't have that much time to sit down and write music. But for a bedroom project, a year is more than enough not only to come up with, but also to release an album properly. There are bands that put out 3 to 5 albums a year, with some of the music not half bad. 


3. Having just released your fifth album “Of Scorched Earth”, how do you think the sound of this new album has evolved with respect to the previous ones? How has the composition and recording process of this new album been? What marks What instruments have you used in the process?

I would like to think that every new album is a step forward in terms of the overall sound (not talking production here) compared to the previous one. Every album release is a learning process, with much to take away for me as a musician and composer, and it's natural that new information is implemented in my future work.

When it comes to composing & recording, it's the same every time for me - first I do a draft in Guitar Pro 7 software, spend a lot of time refining it, etc. I'm trying to do as detailed a draft as possible - makes it easier for me to hear a finished song in my head. When I have enough songs for an album, it's time to record the guitars and vocals. These days you don't need an expensive studio to record a good sounding metal album, so I usually do most of the recordings at home. When I have the demos with midi drums, I send those to a session drummer, get his drums recordings, and then send all the source files to a sound guy. Sometimes I also invite other talented people to contribute here and there. 



4. Its beginnings included more thrash influences, however with the passage of time Malist's sound has become populated with a greater weight of melodic or progressive elements. What bands and styles are currently an influence when it comes to composing music? How would you describe the sound of the album for those who haven't heard it yet?

I listen to a lot of different music, and sometimes it's hard to determine what influences me the most at a certain point in time. I do love death-doom metal and melodic death, apart from black and its subgenres, so yeah, many bands playing in these genres influence me a lot. I generally value simplicity in music - when a band can translate their ideas to simple yet catchy riffs and arrangements, it's usually right up my alley. The paradox is that many, many bands overcomplicate things sometimes (and yes, I'm also guilty of that thing).

I would describe the sound of the new album as riff-driven atmospheric black metal with symphonic and post-metal influences. 


5. Even though Malist is a one man band, it has had the collaboration of Vladimir Udarnov for the recording of the drums and Neinzge for the programming. At what point did you make the decision to seek these collaborations? What do you think? Have these musicians contributed to the final result of the album? What parts of the composition and recording do you feel most uncomfortable with?

I've been hiring drummers to record my drum parts for every album after the first one. It was logical to move from electronic drums to the more natural-sounding alternative. The drummers usually change my parts ever so slightly during the recording, sometimes they propose some cool things of their own (I'm very open to that), but the core groove and accents always stay the same as I wrote them. I'm glad I found Vlad Fomenko (a.k.a. Blastbeatology), he is a beast at the kit, one of Russia's fastest and most technical drummers at the moment, but he is also flexible and can do a whole bunch of different genres.

It's also worth mentioning that this time I worked with a great keyboard player Valentina Astashova, who goes by the nickname Neinzge. It's the first time that I went for a collaboration like that. I just knew that my expertise in sound synthesizing wasn't enough to create great synth arrangements for the scope of that album, so Vladimir Lehtinen shared Neinzge's contact with me, and we collaborated on the keys. She really did a great job breathing life into my dry midi tracks.

I also invited my long-time friend Flammarius to declare some poetry on the album, because I feel like he does this type of vocal delivery way better than I do.

When it comes to recording, I find it most uncomfortable to actually record the guitars. Yes, you heard it right - guitars are the main flavour in Malist's dish, and yet I fucking hate recording them, just because of how perfect I want the sound of the recordings to be, compared of how poor of a guitar player I am. I used to love playing something for fun, but these days I usually only sit down to play the guitar to interpret my own written parts, or rehearse before the recording, and that's it. 


6. The new album also contains a story that revolves around the death of the human race. At what point did you decide to address this theme? Will there be continuity of this theme in future releases? Does the music adapt to the lyrics or vice versa? 

Admittedly, lyrics have never been a central element of Malist, I usually adapt the texts after the music has been written. I find inspiration in dark fantasy tropes and old poetry, with many of the concepts quite relatable in today's world. A similar lyrical theme was already implemented on the "Karst Relict" album, and I think it is flexible enough to explore in one form or another in future music. 


7. For the mixing and mastering of the new album you have had Vladimir Lehtinen from Blastbear Sound. At what point did you decide to work with him and what do you think he has contributed to the final result of the album?

After the 3rd album was finished, I wanted to explore my options with the sound engineers, because you know, everyone has their own approach and standards, and the final sound can be so much different depending on who mixed and masterd the recordings. So I wanted to explore how Malist could sound like.

It's my second time working with Vladimir Lehtinen, and I'm just in awe of how flexible he is when it comes to creating a black metal mix. It's very easy, as a composer, to present your ideas to a guy like Vladimir. Even though I'm not a sound engineer by any means, I felt like we were speaking the same language, and he understood and executed all the production quirks I asked for perfectly. 



8. You have always followed a fairly dark line and at the same time with different interpretations when illustrating your albums, who was in charge of the design of the cover of the new album? What does it represent and how does it relate to its content?

When it comes to illustrating my albums, I keep going back and forth between the talents of Artem Demura and Taya Rostovtseva (a.k.a Inersys32). This time I invited Taya because I love what she did with the artwork for Karst Relict, and since the lyrical theme on the new album is fairly similar, I felt like she could contribute a somewhat similar illustration, but in a different setting, and with a different story. For work like this, I usually create a document with a few reference pictures, the lyrics to the album, and  then I just turn the artist loose, leaving much of the creative effort to them. I think it's very important to trust the illustrator you are working with, and not boss them around - this way they can really share the essence of their craft, and all of the nuances that make their artwork stand out. In my opinion, it turned out gorgeous, even better than I expected.

I don't like to decipher lyrics and how they relate to the album cover art, but I will say one thing - the vast desert setting was inspired mainly by a poem Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley. 


9. For the release of the new album he has changed record label, this time being Italian, Avantgarde Music, those in charge of this function, what led you to change record labels? Is publishing on cassette with Slowsnow Records a way of not losing contact with your country?

The main thing that led me to change the label was the fact that I could no longer sell as many album physical copies as I used to. My previous label, Northern Silence, shared a number of physical copies with me per release, as royalties. It's a common practice, bands usually sell those themselves, and make some of the album production money back - and that's what I used to do. But recently, as you know, Russia has been cut from global airspace, with many sanctions that followed, resulting in higher shipping price for me, and quite unstable delivery, with a few European countries ceasing all postal exchange with Russia altogether, some others randomly refusing to clear parcels from Russia through their customs, etc. That and the fact that many people abroad have become reluctant to order anything from Russia with the war going on, have dropped my sales around 50-70%. So yeah, naturally, I wanted a different monetisation option, and in this case, it involved moving to a different label.

The cassette releases are more of a fan thing - there are some people within the local community who still collect those, and it's good to deliver the album in as many formats as possible. Slowsnow is a great label at that, its tapes have always been great in terms of design and quality.

Fortunately, I haven't lost contact with my country, like you mentioned. In fact, I can proudly say that the number of physical copies ordered from inside Russia has grown drastically, almost covering for the overall international sales drop, despite my music not being very Russia-oriented or hyped here. I was very surprised with that, and am very grateful to local fans, as well as those from other corners of the world, who decided to support me, despite the international-social stigma.


10. Having recently collaborated with some musicians, have you considered the possibility of offering a concert? Which bands would you like to do a mini tour with?

As much as I like handling the band on my own, I don't think I can handle organizing concerts and finding reliable members and gear to tour with. To play live is great in theory, but the more I think about the steps I need to take for it to happen, the more I realize how distant a possibility it is. Perhaps, if someone managed it all for me, I could be inclined. But for now, the band remains a studio project. 


11. The extreme metal scene in your country always seems to have a hermetic character. For you, seen from the inside, what is your opinion of the black emtal scene in a country like Russia? What bands would you recommend that are not well known outside? From Russia?

It's a very competent scene, with many bands performing on a world-class level, despite being less known. I can't say that I'm very knowledgeable at that, but I can recommend a few bands that I enjoyed listening to myself, for sure. Check out Swampborn, with their great blackened post metal masterpiece "Beyond Ratio". Then there is this band called БѢСЪ (reads "bes") which is so blasphemous and true that local religious activists actually went out of their way to cancel the band's live performances last year. And finally, a recent discovery of mine, the band called Ortha with their debut single song called "Храм" - great atmospheric black metal with roots in melodic death, stylistically much like my own creation, but the guy can actually sing very well in clean voice, unlike yours truly. 


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

I grew up in an isolated town in the south, where there was not much activity in terms of concerts. I think my first concert was when dad took me to see the band called Aria (actually Russian heavy metal legends), I was 12 or so, and back then my taste in music was only beginning to form. Thanks to dad, I started very early with bands like Rammstein, Judas Priest, Aria, etc. In my teenage years I enjoyed the peak bands of nu-metal and alternative period - Linkin Park, System of a Down, Korn, you know the drill. SOAD were probably the most influential band in terms of the guitar playing - I think their songs were among the first ones that I learned when I picked up the guitar at 16 - so catchy, simple and yet unique. Later I got into heavier stuff, listened to all of the Swedish melodic death metal pantheon, and gradually stepped into black metal territory. I think the first 2 black metal albums that really grabbed my attention were Woods of Desolation's "Torn Beyond Reason" and Austere's "To Lay Like Old Ashes''. When I first listened to those, I could not believe that such an extreme genre could convey such genuine emotion. After listening to those over and over again, I spent around 5 years eagerly listening to all classic and notable black metal bands, all sub-genres and variations of it, and I also tried to learn some of that on the guitar. I was surprised that it was much easier to learn for me than, let's say, some fast melodic death riffs that I could never play. So I saw this opportunity to come up with some black metal of my own. I wrote about 10 songs as test subjects, without ever releasing those - only showing to some of my friends. With each song I grew more confident in my skill as a composer. I continued writing songs, until I had enough for the debut album... You know the rest.


13. What album represents for you the essence of black metal? What latest albums have you bought?

There are just too many. If you open Malist on Spotify, you can scroll down to see the playlist I did called "Malist - Inspiration". The bands and songs that I added there (except the Malist tracks for promo, obviously) represent the essence of black metal for me. There are also bands from other genres included, which shaped my musical taste greatly. As for the latest inspirations, I can mention Sakis Tolis and all his current projects, Aodon - Portraits, Spectral Wound - A Diabolic Thirst, basically all of the latest Panzerfaust albums, Seth - La Morsure Du Christ, Immortal - Northern Chaos Gods. 


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

Thanks for having me. Very grateful to all the fans for the support and encouragement they gave me. Keep listening to sincere music.

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