Misotheismus - Demo 1

#PER CHI AMA: Black Old School

Skoll e Maldu rappresentano due terzi degli Amuleto de Calamidades, e il 100% di questi Misotheismus. I due musicisti, il primo svedese, il secondo dell'Ecuador, suonano poi in un'altra miriade di band del più profondo underground, chissà poi se con gli stessi nefandi suoni. Si, perchè quello dei Misotheismus è un black old school, registrato probabilmente nello scantinato di casa, con le confezioni delle uova attaccate ai muri che evidentemente non sortiscono i desiderati effetti. Che cosa aspettarci da questi quattro pezzi di questa prima demo? Chitarre zanzarose sparate alla velocità della luce, una batteria al fulmicotone che tira fortissimi schiaffi sui piatti, screaming vocals, qualche raro rallentamento (a metà di "Skändad Och Styckad" o la claustrofobica "Lögnens Slut" ), un'attitudine nera come la pece e poco altro. Sono salvabili, qualcuno si chiederà? Beh, se siete dei nostalgici di quelle demotape di fine anni '80, con registrazioni pessime, ma con il gelido calore emanato dal raw black contenuto nei minimalistici 12 minuti di questo nastro, forse i nostri potrebbero anche fare al caso vostro. Se non soddisfate tutti i requisiti qui sopra, lasciate perdere, rischiereste solo di farvi del male con la furia primigenia dei Misotheismus. (Francesco Scarci)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2021)
Voto: 60

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/misotheismus-demo-1

Malgöth - Primordial Dawn

#PER CHI AMA: Black/Death

Ho letto cose addirittura grandiose su questo album in rete, uscito digitale e autoprodotto a fine 2020 e solo a giugno di quest'anno, in versione fisica (12" Lp) per la Iron Bonehead Productions. Ecco, sgombriamo subito il campo col dire che sebbene a volte mi sorga il dubbio di essere un po' stronzo e non esaltarmi cosi facilmente all'ascolto degli album, 'Primordial Dawn' non è assolutamente nulla di avvincente ed emozionante. La band di oggi arriva dal Canada e propone un death/black esoterico (almeno nelle litaniche vocals dell'introduttiva "Possessed Sword of a Thousand Deaths") per poi esplodere in un cacofonico e mal registrato lavoro, che vede ritmiche iper mega serrate e vocalizzi dall'oltretomba, il tutto suonato in modo poco ispirato e decisamente poco originale. I quattro pezzi inclusi nel disco si assomigliano un po' tutti visto il minimo comun denominatore costituito da questa linea di chitarra marcescente, con le vocals (growl profondo e screaming fastidioso) che ci si piazzano sopra non sortendo alcun effetto catalizzante l'attenzione, ma anzi portandomi a lunghi sbadigli. Ci prova il terzetto di Toronto a cambiare le sorti di un EP (di debutto peraltro) destinato alla ghigliottina e lo fanno con l'inserimento di altre parti liturgico/ambientali (l'incipit di "The Opposer"), ma alla fine non ci siamo per nulla e salvare il salvabile, diventa impresa assai ardua. Speriamo che i nostri possano imparare dai propri errori e tornare con sonorità meno moleste. Mi domando invece se quelli che hanno osannato questo album, fossero sotto l'influsso di droghe o cosa... (Francesco Scarci)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2021)
Voto: 50

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/malg-th-primordial-dawn

Katavasia - Invoking the Spirit of Doom

#PER CHI AMA: Hellenic Black, Absu

Giusto un paio di pezzi per testare lo stato di forma dei Katavasia, super band greca formata da membri di Varathron, Aenaon, Hail Spirit Noir, che lo scorso anno era uscita con il secondo lavoro 'Magnus Venator'. Tornano oggi, anzi lo faranno il primo ottobre per la Iron Bonehead Productions, con questo 7" intitolato 'Invoking the Spirit of Doom'. Dicevo due brani, "Descending to Acheron" e "Premonition of Doom" che li rendono abili portabandiera del famigerato hellenic sound, anche se la traccia del lato-A, in realtà mette in luce un sound che richiama fortemente gli statunitensi Absu con quel giro di chitarra però tipico delle band black greche. Il risultato non è affatto male, anche se c'è da dire che i Rotting Christ proponevano tali sonorità nel 1991, trent'anni fa quindi. Pertanto non aspettatevi chissà quale innovativa proposta sonora, scordatevi gli sperimentalismi delle band madri di questi non più giovanotti e lasciatevi avvolgere dal magnetico sound ellenico. Molto meglio la seconda traccia, forte di una ritmica tagliente ed estremamente melodica che nella sua parte iniziale rievoca gli svedesi Sarcasm e che ritorna sul binario del black atmosferico con quelle tastiere in sottofondo ad edulcorare una ritmica a tratti schiacciasassi, sorretta dai vocalizzi malefici di Necroabyssious dei Varathron. Insomma, l'unica pecca di questo EP è la durata, ma 'Invoking the Spirit of Doom' per lo meno ci tranquillizza del fatto che i nostri stiano bene e abbiano ancora tanta voglia di rievocare i fasti di un passato mai andato perduto. (Francesco Scarci)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2021)
Voto: 70

https://www.facebook.com/katavasiaofficial

White Nights - Solanaceae

#PER CHI AMA: Psych/Dark/Rock, Ghost

Pronti per farvi un bel trip acido con i White Nights? Si perchè 'Solanaceae' mai fu titolo più azzeccato per raccontarvi le allucinazioni create da questa enigmatica band statunitense. Per chi non lo sapesse, le solanacee includono patate, melanzane, pomodori, peperoni e peperoncini, ma anche piante da cui ricavare farmaci o prodotti ad uso voluttuario (il tabacco) e piante velenose (le datura). Alcune specie contengono poi alcaloidi psicoattivi che sono alla base delle visioni delle "Notti Bianche", esplicate anche attraverso l'artwork di copertina. Il disco si apre con le atmosfere gotiche di "Halluncinogenic Black Cubes", in cui conigare le melodie dark rock dei Fields of the Nephilim con post punk e psichedelia, in una sorta di immaginifico mostro con la testa dei Ghost e il corpo dei The Sister of Mercy. L'EP si muove attraverso simili sinistre sonorità anche in "Nightshade Mornings in Bloodred Satin", peraltro sempre sorrette da uno splendido organo in background. Lo psych punk rock continua inesorabile nella più che esplicita "Cannabaceae III", un'altra famiglia di piante che comprende canapa (Cannabis) e luppolo (Humulus). Potrete pertanto lontanamente immaginare lo sballo lisergico durante l'ascolto del brano grazie alle sue vocals filtrate sorrette da una ritmica frenetica e punkeggiante. Ma la catarsi sonora si raggiunge con la conclusiva title track, oltre tredici minuti di sonorità dronico ambientali che vi condurranno in un mondo fatto di mille colori, suoni sperimentali e atmosfere settantiane che chiudono un EP interessante ma che forse alla lunga, rischia di risultare un po' troppo statico e monocorde. Le idee sono valide, ma forse c'è da lavorarci su ancora un pochino. (Francesco Scarci)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2021)
Voto: 66

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/white-nights-solanaceae

Temple Desecration – Communion Perished

BACK IN TIME:

#PER CHI AMA: Black/Death

Una funzione liturgica assai particolare apre 'Communion Perished', EP dei polacchi Temple of Desecration. Sembra infatti una donna posseduta quella che urla dopo il cerimoniale religioso che funge da brevissimo intro a questo disco. Mini album che rivela la natura impossessata della band che sfodera in “Ghoul Prayer” tutta la propria furia distruttrice con un sound death old school. Ancora una volta vengono chiamati in causa i Celtic Frost anche se qui le velocità che si raggiungono sono assai più ragguardevoli, fatto salvo per l'apocalittico break centrale, in cui è possibile udire le voci della possessione demoniaca, quella che verosimilmente coglie anche l'indemoniato vocalist dei nostri. Il sound dei Temple Desecration è comunque pieno di odio: le chitarre macinano riffs granitici, mentre piovono dal cielo frustate incontrollate che lasciano indelebili segni sulle nostre schiene. A dir poco malmenati, ci avviamo al side B del dischetto ("Apotheosis"), laddove suonano campane a festa (forse la liberazione dall'ignobile spiritello) mentre i nostri si preparano ad un nuovo tremendo attacco frontale che non tarda ad arrivare e la malvagità trabocca da ogni solco di questo malefico 12". Tutto finisce cosi come era iniziato, dalle maligne parole di una donna posseduta. Solo 14 minuti di musica, in grado di maciullare i miei timpani e null'altro. (Francesco Scarci)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2014)
Voto: 60

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/temple-desecration-communion-perished

Grabunhold - Heldentod

#FOR FANS OF: Death/Black/Epic

The German band Grabunhold is a four-piece project created four years ago by extreme metal musicians and Tolkien lovers to merge both passions in a unique project. This combination is pretty well-known in the scene as black metal, alongside with power metal, has maybe been the subgenre with more bands influenced by the legendary writer. Anyway, these Tokien-esque lyrics are not the only source as some lyrics have a strong melancholic nature. The combination of both topics is undoubtedly something, which always can fit with the dark and powerful essence of black metal.

After a demo and a promising EP, the ensemble focused its efforts to release the always decisive debut album, which should show the project´s true potential. 'Heldentod' is the name of the beast and its firmly rooted in the most iconic elements of the black metal genre, with the always distinctive touch of the German scene, which usually has this effective mixture of fury, aggression and a yet melodic background in its music. We won't see a lot of it in the impetuous beginning of the album opener "Wolkenbruch über Amon Sul", with a furious and straightforward attack of some vicious vocals, merciless drums and sharp guitars. Regardless of it, as the song evolves, we can appreciate an increasing melodic touch in the guitars, occasionally accompanied by majestic clean vocals, which give an epic touch to a song that was initially pure brutality. This contrasted combination of elements define perfectly what Grabunhold offers in its debut album. As it happens quite usually, the longer tracks offer a greater scope to introduce more changes, influences and arrangements in the songs, being the ideal compositions to create more epic tracks. It happens with the first song, but this feeling is stronger in the excellent "Morgenröte am Pelennor" and in the final song "Der Einsamkeit Letzter Streiter". The first one includes some acoustic guitars, a tiptop melodic riffage and heroic clean vocals aligned with the lyrical theme, being at the end my favourite track of the album. The final song shares some characteristics with Pelennor’s song, though it has a more melancholic tone. In any case, these longer tracks allow to create compositions with more variations and the aforementioned epic touch. On the other hand, we can find more straightforward songs like "Hügelgräberhöhen" or "Fangorns Erwahen", which a quite sorter and therefore, they are focused on being fast and aggressive. Although we can appreciate that the riffing is still remarkable, it varies from darker tones to more melodic ones with a respectable naturalness.

Grabunhold’s debut 'Heldentod' is clearly a quite sold first effort and shows an interesting evolution in the band’s core sound. The expected German black metal style is there but it has a quite distinctive touch and balance which makes this opus a quite interesting and enjoyable experience. Personally, I prefer the longer tracks as per their epic touch showing the variety the band is capable of. (Alain González Artola)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2021)
Score: 76

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/grabunhold-heldentod

Hulder - Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry

#FOR FANS OF: Raw Atmospheric Black

Hulder is a solo-project founded only two years ago by the Belgian musician Marz Riesterer who is currently located in Oregon, USA. From its inception the project showed some potential, combining raw black metal with some medieval influences, not only conceptually but also with some small musicial touches. Anyway, Hulder couldn't be defined as a pure medieval black metal project, at least in its first stage. In these two years, the project has been quite active releasing several demos, singles and a EP, always with a very raw production and a potential yet to be fully delivered.

Twenty-twenty has been a remarkable year for Hulder that finally released the debut album entitled 'Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry' with the respected underground label Iron Bonehead Productions. This debut opus marks a great step forward in terms of composition and production and it is exactly what I was expecting from this project as a logical and needed musical evolution. 'Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry' doesn't differ so much from the previous works but it is undoubtedly a more mature work. First of all, the production has still its rawness, but it is clearly cleaner and more powerful. All the instruments are much more audible and the sound is perfectly balanced. The compositions have an appropriate equilibrium between clearness and agression. Musically speaking, the songs are clearly rooted in the black metal genre, both instrumentally and vocally. Marz’s shrieks sound pretty rasped and powerful and they fit the music perfectly well. Pace-wise, the songs are generally fast though they have a good dose of tempo-changes with a quite well composed guitar lines, which sound archetypal but never boring or dull. The album opener "Upon Frigid Winds" is a nice example of well-composed riffs and a relentless pace, although thankfully the rhythm varies enough to prevent the song to become boring. Moreover, it has a nice and short atmospheric interlude in the middle of the song which gives a nice medieval touch to the track. The aforementioned medieval vibe is here clearly stronger if we compare it with previous releases. This feeling is achieved thank to different arrangements, like some keyboard sections in several songs, for example, the already mentioned album oponer, or traks like "Lowland Famine", among others. Other arrangements come in the form of acoustic guitars, like in the more calmed track "De Dilje", which serves as a peaceful moment in the middle of a sonic storm. These arrangements enrich the album making it has a credible medieval vibe, but they never overshadow the absolutely loyal black metal sound. The achieved balance is excellent and the expected aggressivity is well accompanied by these atmospheric touches, which improve the final result. Another nice example is the excellent track "A Forlorn Peasant’s Hymn", with a surprising calm and beautiful first half, where Marz also shows us her heavenly voice. This ethereal start is suddenly broken by a furious change, giving wat to a second full black metal part, where she shows its strenght, it is indeed a well-done great contrast.

'Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry' is undoubtedly a excellent step forward in Hulder’s career. It stays loyal to its core sound as it shows a necessary improvement in terms of production, compositions and a stronger medieval atmosphere. Absolutely recommendable for fans of the black metal genre. (Alain González Artola)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2020)
Score: 82

https://www.facebook.com/HulderUS/

Horn - Mohngang

#FOR FANS OF: Pagan Back

The German scene is, as you probably know, one of the richest ones in terms of quantity and quality. We can find excellent classic projects, or newer ones that continue to release great stuff. Due to this, it is particularly difficult to find a band which manages to carve its own niche and maintains a bunch of loyal fans after some time. The solo project Horn, located in North Rhine´Westhaplia and founded in 2002, is one of them. The fact of being a one man project makes it more meritorious, since over time it would be logic if the project loses some of its freshness and inspiration. Fortunately, this hasn’t been the case of Horn, a project which released some impressive first efforts like ‘Jahreszeiten’ and ‘Die Kraft der Szenarien’. Anyway, Horn has continued to make interesting albums, though I must admit that its latest works like ‘Turn am Hang’ showed a project reinvigorated and with fresh ideas. Horn has played from its beginning a quite essential form of pagan metal, lacking of truly elaborated compositions, but having a so sincere, authentic essence in its music that its songs were inevitably great. The combination of simple melodies and a strong vocal performance was simply perfect and Horn´s compositions had in those old albums a truly hypnotic attraction. Later on the band evolved with some slightly darker works, while with the last records, Nerrath seems to recover some old majesty, enriched with new ideas.

Having this in mind, I was excited to check what Horn was going to offer this time with the new release ‘Mohngang’. Since the very first listen, we can appreciate that Horn´s core sound is still there in its entirety. The production, as occurred in the latest works, has improved through time and now it sounds reasonable polished and clean, but with a healthy balance between this cleanness and the necessary rudeness that the band requires. Stylistically, the new tracks have the expected pagan black metal sound with a strong epic touch. The initial track "Satt Scheint Der Sud Der Tat" has all the elements we love from this band. Nerrath’s vocals sounds as strong as ever, with his traditional aggressive tone, tastefully mixed with cleaner vocals gifted of an intense epic approach. The drums have a martial sound at times, yet sound varied and well executed. Pace wise, the song flows naturally between faster and slower sections, making a very varied and entertaining track. The album has an impressive start with the opener and the following two or three songs, which sound quite powerful and have a slightly faster pace at times. "Det Star Her Som Sletta" is another punch in your face, with its battling tone. The guitars shine in this song and in general in the whole album, with very well executed riffs, with a distinctive melodic and triumphal tone. The track is enriched with some acoustic guitars and epic arrangements, aimed at increasing the vigorous tone of this excellent song. Horn doesn’t overcharge its compositions with tons of arrangements or details, as they are moderately, yet tastefully, introduced when it’s required, in order to enrich the composition and give it a different and distinguishable touch. After the beautiful and folk interlude of "Dulcimerstück", the album reaches its end with two quite different tracks, showing the two sides of Horn. "Vom Tribock Hohl Geschossen" sounds as powerful and epic as the rest of the album, with this vibrant pace and tone, while "Ødegård Und Pendelschlag" has a slightly more somber tone, like a soundtrack after the battle. This song could serve as the sonic representation of the devastation depicted in the album cover. It’s not maybe my preferred track from this work, but it serves as a very appropriate end for the album, leaving aside the cello version of the track "Die Mit Dem Bogen Auf Dem Kreuz" which comes later. This version of the song is a beautiful and dramatic closure of the new album, even if it could be considered as a bonus track.

'Mohhgang' is definitively a worthy listen if you like Horn and pagan metal in general. It’s difficult to place this album in such a great discography but, it is undoubtedly an excellent release full of great tracks, brisk melodies, majesty and strength. (Alain González Artola)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2020)

Score: 82

https://www.facebook.com/HornOfficial

Empire of the Moon - Έκλειψις

#FOR FANS OF: Hellenic Black, Rotting Christ

Twentytwenty is being an interesting year for some veteran Greek bands, which clearly shows that this scene is still healthy both in quality and in quantity. If recently we enjoyed Kawir’s last and their great album ‘Adastreia’, now it is time to taste another fine release coming from the Hellenic country. Empire of the Moon is the project founded by R.W. Draconium and Ouroboros in 1996. This duo became a trio with the incorporation of S.V. Mantus, only two years later. Empire of the Moon has never been a prolific band, as it only released a quite dark and unique demo entitled 'For the Ancient Light of Sin' in 1997. After this seminal work, the band was swallowed by the shadows, where it remained for a long time until the project returned to the first line-up, releasing its long awaited debut in 2014. This debut has some excellent black metal compositions, still reminiscent of its occult and murky initial sound. After that, the band took its time to release a second album, spending six years to get the sophomore album 'Έκλειψις' ('Eclipse' in English).

'Έκλειψις' is undoubtedly a fine example of the trademark style of the Greek black metal bands. Independently if the approach is more aggressive, epic or atmospheric, almost all the Greek bands which I know, have a strong sense of melody in their guitar lines. Empire of the Moon is not an exception and though it plays a more straightforward form of black metal in comparison to Rotting Christ, the songs of this album always have a good degree of melody and atmospheres. Some songs like the third track "Per Aspera Ad Lunae - I. Th Reso" may have a demolishing start, with those speedy drums, crushing guitars and vicious vocals. But as it happens with other tunes, the song evolves to a not so fast section, where the guitars have a greater room to introduce very nice melodies. Furthermore, although this is a guitar oriented album, the atmospheric touches have a good presence here and there, thanks to the work by S.V. Mantus, which introduces occasional keys and choirs, which increase the ambience of the songs. The next track shows a pure Hellenic guitar riff, which inevitably reminds me some old classic Rotting Christ songs. The song shows a quite fluctuating pace, which makes it interesting. The guitar work is again excellent with magnificently executed riffs and a very nice solo. One of strongest points of this album is that the previously mentioned remarkable characteristics become increasingly present in the later part of 'Έκλειψις'. This is because the final part of the album contains the longest tracks, which usually means a greater room to create compositions with a more different structure. However, this makes more difficult to keep the interest and inspiration alive through the whole songs. Fortunately, Empire of the Moon has worked hard to compose tracks full of excellent riffs, well structured compositions and interesting atmospheric tweaks. This tasteful mix makes you feel that the occult and mysticism related to lyrics have their proper sonic representation. As a summary and a great farewell of this album, we have the closer "Per Aspera Ad Lunae - IV Son of Fire", which is an excellent and maybe the most epic song of this album, breathing grandiosity, thanks to the majestic riffs and sticky melodies. The track flows between atmospheric parts, with some calmer sections and the most powerful ones, with easiness and inspiration. This song is without any doubt the end that the album deserved.

Good thing may take a longer time to enjoy them, but when the quality is so great, the wait is worth of our time, as it has happened with Empire of the Moon’s second album. This is an excellent work of Greek occult black metal, equally balanced in aggressiveness, melody and atmosphere. (Alain González Artola)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2020)
Score: 84

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/empire-of-the-moon-eclipse

Kawir - Adastreia

#FOR FANS OF: Epic Black

The Greek scene is undoubtedly one of the most prolific one, not only in quantity but especially in the quality. The national scene goes way further from the most famous bands like Rotting Christ or Septic Flesh, just to mention the most obvious ones, where you can find excellent bands, both new and old ones. If we focus on between the veterans who deserve more attention, the Athens based Kawir will be one of those for sure. This project was founded back in 1993 by Therthonax with the support of Stefan Necroabyssious and Eskarth the Dark One, who recorded their first track. Nevertheless, this project´s true leader has been always Therthonax, he is the only original member who has remained from the inception of the band to these days. As expected, Kawir’s line-up has suffered of many changes during its existence. The current line-up consists of five members and it has been quite stable during the last five years. Anyway, these numerous changes haven´t been a definitive impediment for this project to release seven albums, some splits and its newest opus, entitled ‘Adastreia’, or in its Greek spelling, ‘Αδράστεια’.

Kawir plays a quite epic and barbaric form of pagan black metal. The band´s career is full of excellent albums and ‘Adastreia’ is another fine example of powerful black metal, rich in melody and battling atmosphere. The new album contains six songs, being one of them a very nice folk song with a clear ritual tone, where the female vocals of Lindy Fay Hella play a major role. It is a very nice song, which can be considered a moment of calm during a ferocious battle. Apart from this track, the rest of the album is the expected carnage, with five ferocious songs of pure pagan black metal, not devoid of a great amount of excellent melodies and majesty. This epic touch can be immediately felt with the opening melody of the first track "Tydeus". An epic choir accompanied by acoustic guitars are immediately followed by aggressive black screaming vocals and some great riffs, whose melodies are tastefully composed and place through the whole song. The intensity goes higher with the next track, entitled "Atalanti", which has some faster sections of pure black metal. Anyway, the pace of the songs is never monotonous, as they varies it in a very natural way, from the typical pagan metal mid-tempo to blast beasts. The guitars play a very important role with inspired riffs which fit both the most straightforward sections, where the black aggressiveness reigns, and the pagan parts, where they have a more barbaric tone with a mid-tempo pace looking to work properly. Furthermore, the band enriches its sound adding some excellent folk touches during those more pagan black sections, using instruments like the flute or the bagpipes, which increase the sense of being immersed in the ancient Greek history. These additions are not everywhere as they are tastefully placed here and there like a bonus, which makes the album more interesting. The excellently composed and executed mixture of rawness, strength, melody and grandeur makes this album a pleasant listening and its length, around forty minutes, increases the need of listening to it again and again. The album closer, entitled "Medea", is not only the longest song, but also the perfect track summarizing all the aforementioned attributes, that make this album a great album. The song flows between the speedy sections, full of fury, to the most melodic ones, always leaving a room to atmospheric and folk sections, for a great ending!

In conclusion, ‘Adastreia’ is not a work released by a tired band, if anything it's the opposite by a band that still breaths passion in this music. This album is an impressive example of how pagan black can still sound fresh, inspired and grandiose. A must for every metal fan. (Alain González Artola)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2019)
Score: 90

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/kawir-adrasteia

Ancient Moon - Beneditus Diabolica, Gloria Patri

#FOR FANS OF: Esoteric Black Metal

Ancient Moon is one of those projects which like to hide under a veil of mystery, presumably to create an aura of obscurity, which always help to reinforce its musical proposal. In fact, I don’t know a lot about this international project composed by three musicians whose names remain unknown to the general public. Ancient Moon was created in an unknown place and date, and the first thing we know is that they released a quite competent debut entitled 'Vvltvure', back in 2015 with the Russian underground label Satanath Records. That debut showed the love of the band for long songs as this debut was composed by a single mammoth song which almost lasted 30 minutes. Now, four years later and after a split album released in 2018, Ancient Moon returns with its sophomore work entitled 'Beneditus Diabolica, Gloria Patri'.

'Beneditus Diabolica, Gloria Patri' is another dark ritual consisting of two long tracks, clocking each one, around 17 and 20 minutes, respectively. Ancient Moon plays a very dark form of atmospheric black metal with adistinctive murky and obscure production, which fits perfectly well what this dark incantation wants to be. The album needs to be listened in its entirety as the band creates long pieces as a part of a unique tenebrous ritual, where each instrument and arrangements has a sole purpose, to build a dense atmosphere which wants to captivate the listener in an immersive music experience. The aura of mystery evolves both compositions which have long atmospheric sections created with keys, organs and other instruments, showing the skills of this musicians when they have to compose music with a strong sense of atmosphere. Pace wise both tracks have a general mid-tempo style, though thankfully the pace is not monotonous through the whole compositions, as both songs contain some faster sections adequately mixed the aforementioned ambient sections, slower and the most common mid tempo sections. The guitars have a murky tone, though the production can be considered good and well balanced, they even have a certain dissonant tone which fits the ritualistic chaos of these compositions. Their role in this album is quite relevant and they are certainly a strong point, as they sound well composed and with distinguishable melodies and a welcoming variety. This notorious role is shared with the already mentioned keys, which have a sole leadership in certain moments, as in others they are the perfect companion of the guitars. Sometimes, they appear in the front, like in the ambient sections or when the organs appear like for example in "Benedictus Diabolica, Gloria Patri Pt 1" and in other sections you can find them more in the background. Anyway, they are never overrepresented as they appear in an adequate quantity. Alongside the guitars and the keys, the vocals have also a strong performance, and as it happened with the instruments they adequate their tone and style to the different sections achieving an excellent result. The vocals can sound at times with a clear black metal style with those shrieks, while they can also have a death metal touch as they adequate their style to a lower and cavernous tone. In certain moments they also remind me Attila Csihar’s very personal and unique vocals. One of the best moments is when they introduce choir esque vocals, which fit perfectly well this kind of ritualistic black metal and are, in my opinion, one of the best moments of this album.

In conclusion, 'Benedictus Diabolica, Gloria Patri' is undoubtedly a quite strong second album and the best compliment I can say about it is that it achieves to create the ceremonious, murky and perturbing atmosphere that the band wanted to beget. (Alain González Artola)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2019)
Score: 80

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/ancient-moon-benedictus-diabolica-gloria-patri

Grabunhold - Unter dem Banner der Toten

#PER CHI AMA: Black, Mayhem, Windir

I Grabunhold sono un quartetto proveniente da Dortmund, palesemente ispirato al black metal di metà anni '90 al contempo anche alla letteratura tolkiana, dal momento che il moniker si rifà agli spettri dei Tumuli citati proprio da J. R. R. Tolkien in uno dei suoi scritti. 'Unter dem Banner der Toten' è l'EP di debutto dopo che nel 2017, i nostri avevano rilasciato un promettente demo intitolato 'Auf den Hügelgräberhöhen'. Dicevamo delle influenze della band: dall'ascolto della tumultuosa opener "Gespenster", i richiami ai vecchi classici sono evidenti: si va infatti dal fare riottoso dei Mayhem al più sinfonico degli Agathodaimon o al più epico dei Windir, come sottolineato dalle melodie in apertura di "Hexentanz", la seconda song. Il quartetto suona in modo comunque convincente e pur non inventando nulla di nuovo, si lascia piacevolmente ascoltare, alternando ritmiche infuocate con dei fraseggi di epica vastità che conferiscono una certa ariosità alla proposta del combo germanico. La seconda song vede peraltro i nostri abbandonare il cantato in screaming per delle spoken words, mentre il sound va dilaniando le carni con frustate di blast beat e chitarre in tremolo picking. "Von Gefallenen Helden und Vergess" è il classico bridge che ci conduce a "Grabunholde", ultimo atto di questa prima prova per la compagine germanica. La song è delle quattro quella che mi ha convinto meno, sebbene rimanga visibile il marchio di fabbrica dei Grabunhold che qui arrivano a palesare più forte anche una certa componente malinconica, oltre che delle orchestrazioni che sembrano evocare i Dimmu Borgir di 'Stormblast'. Alla fine, quella di 'Unter dem Banner der Toten' è una prova onesta che mette in luce pregi e difetti della band ma che lascia un discreto margine di crescita per il futuro della band in un genere sempre più scarno in fatto di idee. (Francesco Scarci)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2019)
Voto: 64

https://soundcloud.com/iron-bonehead-productions/grabunhold-gespenster

Törzburg - Dracula's Castle

#PER CHI AMA: Black/Thrash

Ci vuole proprio della gran fantasia chiamare un album 'Dracula's Castle'. Ovviamente il mio è un tono eufemistico, visto che i finlandesi Törzburg hanno banalmente pensato di affidarsi a simile moniker per il loro demo di debutto, edito in cassetta, dalla Iron Bonehead Productions. Il sound proposto è un marcescente black metal, banale per ciò che concerne i contenuti, low profile per quanto riguarda la qualità audio. E la title track in apertura ci conferma quanto poco attento sia stato il buon Strigoi, artefice di questo progetto. La song che dà il titolo al demo infatti è un concentrato casinaro di black thrash punk, registrato male, suonato peggio e cantato in modo obbrobrioso. Per non parlare della successiva "Triumph of Blood": un titolo del genere poteva andare di moda a metà anni '80, cosi come pure la musica era quello che si sentiva nella sala prove delle prime band dedite a questo sound deficitario sotto tutti i punti di vista. Anche con l'ascolto delle restanti due tracce, faccio francamente fatica trovare qualcosa da salvare in questa banalissima release che poco o nulla ha da apportare al genere fatto salvo per un bel po' di frustazione, ossia quella derivante dalla necessità di recensire simili amenità. Bocciatissimi. (Francesco Scarci)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2019)
Voto: 40

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/t-rzburg-draculas-castle

Abhor / Abysmal Grief - Legione Occulta​/​Ministerium Diaboli

#PER CHI AMA: Black/Psych/Horror

Due nomi storici del metal nazionale hanno pensato bene di unire le proprie forze in questo split EP di soli tre pezzi, in cui i 13 minuti iniziali sono affidati a due song degli Abhor ed i rimanenti 13 minuti ad una sola song degli Abysmal Grief. L'esorcismo inizia con "Legione Occulta" che vede i padovani Abhor proporre il loro classico occult black maligno fatto di ritmi cadenzati, grim vocals ed in sottofondo, quella che sembrerebbe essere una reale registrazione di un esorcismo (palesato anche da un'inequivocabile cover cd). Non è da meno “Possession/Obsession” che prosegue sulla falsariga dell'opener sia in fatto di tematiche trattate che musicalmente, con quel rifferama un po' retro su cui va ad installarsi il mefistofelico organo di Leonardo Lonnerbach, che a mio avviso rappresenta il punto di forza del sound deviato e sghembo della band veneta che da oltre 20 anni calca il sottosuolo italico, il tutto senza dimenticarci ovviamente dello screaming ferale del buon vecchio Ulfhedhnir e dell'innata capacità della band nel creare splendide atmosfere da incubo (ascoltatevi a tal proposito il finale della traccia). È poi il turno dei genovesi Abysmal Grief, un altro in gruppo in giro da una ventina d'anni con un bel po' di esperienza in cascina ed una grande abilità di spiazzare l'ascoltatore con le loro insane trovate: in questo caso i 13 minuti di "​Ministerium Diaboli" altro non sono che un lungo e minimalistico rituale che dopo ben otto minuti muta in forma canzone, con una sezione ritmica vera e propria dai fortissimi connotati psichedelici su cui poggiano delle grida in sottofondo. Insomma alla fine un buon riempitivo, in attesa delle nuove release delle due band fiore all'occhiello del metal italiano. (Francesco Scarci)

(Iron Bonehead Records - 2019)
Voto: 70

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/abhor-abysmal-grief-legione-occulta-ministerium-diaboli

The Rite - The Brocken Fires

#PER CHI AMA/FOR FANS OF: Black/Doom, Celtic Frost, Cathedral

I The Rite altro non sono che un nuovo side project internazionale che vede la partecipazione di P. Guts dei nostrani Krossburst, in compagnia di A.th dei Black Oath, altra band italica, ed infine Ustumallagam dei blacksters danesi Denial of God. Il risultato di simile incontro non può portare inevitabilmente a nulla di buono, non tanto in termini qualitativi, ma in fatto di sonorità. Preparatevi pertanto ad affrontare un concentrato offensivo di black doomeggiante, che non vede grossi stravolgimenti al genere, se non una certa vena rituale in alcuni esoterici fraseggi dell'EP, che sembrano per certi versi richiamare Mercyful Fate o Death SS, anche se qui le voci si palesano arcigne e malvagie. Se le prime due tracce sono un intro a cui segue una sferzante tempesta black, è con la title track che si vedono le cose migliori della band, proprio per quel suo incedere lento e magico, fatto però di una magia nera pulsante oscuri malefici e quant'altro, che chiama addirittura in causa un che dei Cathedral più tenebrosi, uniti a Celtic Frost e Samael, per un risultato complessivo che riserva qualche buono spunto. Soprattutto quando i nostri affidano alla cover "Acid Orgy" (originaria dei Goatlord) la chiusura del disco per un melmoso finale che già mi aveva pienamente convinto anche con la quarta "Heed the Devil's Call". Come si dice, chi ben inizia è a metà dell'opera. (Francesco Scarci)

Voto: 66

The Rite is a rather new international band founded in 2017 by musicians located both in Italy and in Denmark. It’s increasingly becoming more common to see bands with members whose locations are quite far, thanks to internet and the new recording equipments, which make possible to compose and record music even if the members don´t spend a single second together. I don´t know if this is the case, but it´s clear that the current technologies made easier for P.Guts, who plays the drums, A.th who plays the guitars, bass and keys, and Ustumallagam, who is the vocalist, to create The Rite. It didn´t take too much time until they could release their first effort entitled 'The Brocken Fires', with the ex-member Gabriel on guitars, as all the members were already experienced musicians with several previous projects. Almost all of them were closely related to extreme metal subgenres as black metal or doom metal. Unsurprisingly, The Rite is a band which mixes black and doom metal and whose main influences are classic bands like Celtic Frost, Samael or Goatlord, among the others. As previously mentioned, The Rite released 'The Brocken Fires' only one year after the band´s inception and though initially it was only released as a cassette, this debut EP has caught Iron Bonehead Productions attention which has decided to re-release it on CD and vinyl. Thanks to this 'The Brocken Fires' is gaining a bigger attention through the underground scene. This initial effort consists in a short intro called "Prayer to Satan", three new tracks and a Goatlord cover entitled "Acid Orgy". All the tracks deliver a solid mix of black metal with heavy doom metal influences, especially in the somber tone of the compositions and the generally slower pace in comparison to an archetypal black metal song. This gives a greater room to the band to create truly heavyweight riffs that are the indisputable strongest point of this EP. The first track entitled "A Pact With Hell" is a fine example of this description, delivering powerful riffs which remind me in a few moments Celtic Frost and accompanied by solidly executed vocals by Ustumallagam. His vicious and strong voice is the perfect companion to the black/doom esque riffs, which at times can sound slightly more melodic, this is in my opinion, a nice point which enriches the composition and adds variety to this song. Another strong point is that the band tries to escape from creating songs with a monotonous pace and at times introduces fast sections, which are an interesting add. The aforementioned song and the last song created by the band, "Heed The Devil´s Call" have a quite similar structure and though both are solid efforts, is the second song, the homonymous "The Brocken Fires", which is in my humble opinion the highlight of this EP. Structurally, it’s the most varied one with slow, mid and also fast sections, the riffs are excellently composed and delivered with powerful notes, but not exempt from inspired melodies. Apart from that the band introduces some organs, which enhance the bleak atmosphere of the track giving the extra point that makes the song even better. In conclusion, 'The Brocken Fires' is a pretty solid debut by The Rite. Though it doesn´t hit the ground with something especially original, the ideas behind these compositions are pretty well executed and make this EP a work which deserves to a listen. (Alain González Artola)

(Iron Bonehead Records - 2019)

Score: 70

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/the-rite-the-brocken-fires

Scythe Lore - Through the Mausoleums of Man

#PER CHI AMA: Death Old School, primi Entombed, Vomitory, Aevangelist

In attesa di capire cosa ne sarà degli Aevangelist e delle loro dispute intestine cosi come quali novità attenderci dai nuovi Entombed AD, perchè non dare una chance al debut EP dei teutonici Scythe Lore. La proposta della misteriosa band germanica racchiude infatti le oblique e sinistre sonorità dell'estremismo odierno e penso appunto a Aevangelist e Portal, miscelate con il death old school di anni '90, Entombed e affini. Tutto è racchiuso all'interno di questo folle 'Through the Mausoleums of Man' e certificato attraverso le sei schegge impazzite che ci aggrediscono con la veemente "Eschatology Speaks All Tongues", ci demoliscono con la brevissima "Jhator", ci annichiliscono con la mortifera e più doomish "Behind 7 Walls and 7 Gates". Gli ingredienti sono i classici del passato con le ferali ritmiche del death metal made in Stockholm, le splendide rasoiate inferte dalle chitarre soliste (molto in stile 'Left Hand Path'), le growling vocals catacombali, il tutto riproposto con lo sghembo ardore del death sperimentale di oggi. Se proprio devo trovare un difetto alla proposta dei nostri, è una batteria plastificata che proprio non si può sentire e mortifica un po' il risultato finale di questo 'Through the Mausoleums of Man'. Per il resto lascio a voi il piacere di addentrarvi nelle paludose sabbie mobili delle restanti song, che non promettono assolutamente nulla di buono. (Francesco Scarci)

(Iron Bonhead Records - 2019)
Voto: 68

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/scythe-lore-through-the-mausoleums-of-man