Abhor - Sex Sex Sex (Ceremonia Daemonis Anticristi)

#FOR FANS OF: Occult Black Metal

The Italian veterans Abhor, a band founded in 1995 in Padua, have returned with its eighth opus entitled 'Sex Sex Sex (Ceremonia Daemonis Anticristi)', once again released by the always reliable label Iron Bonehead Productions. I have always enjoyed those black metal bands, whose lyrics are strongly focused on occultism and witchcraft, among other similar concepts, as this conceptual influence makes the music sound quite distinctive. From my personal point of view, those themes are sonically better represented when the band creates compositions with a strong atmospheric touch. Abhor is a fine example of it as these sorts of bands successfully mix the expected ferociousness and rawness of the black metal genre with a sinister and mysterious ambience, making the songs actually sound as a proper witches' sabbath.

Abhor’s latest opus 'Sex Sex Sex (Ceremonia Daemonis Anticristi)' is a fine exemplification of this aforementioned idea. The first proper track "Ceremonia Daemonia Anticristi" is a great album opener, where we can listen to the main characteristics of this album, the band achieves a nice mixture of slightly raw guitars, vicious raspy vocals, and a great atmospheric arrangement in the form an organ. This instrument is for sure, the most adequate one to create this dark and hypnotic atmosphere. Pace wise, the album is not especially fast as the compositions are more focused on mid-tempo sections where the riffs, which have a nice old-school touch, and the keys shine a lot. In any case, we can hear some punctual speed bursts in songs like "Ode to the Snake", for example, although they don’t last too much. This song in particular, is a highlight in terms of pace change as it is quite varied and enjoyable. I especially like how marked are the different sections in terms of intensity, and how naturally a quite aggressive part is followed by a much more atmospheric one, always keeping the composition a natural flow. "Ritual Mentor" is another great song, when we speak about making a clear contrast between the different intensities that we can find in a composition. But never leaving behind the fact, that the song and the whole work have a strong occult atmosphere which permeates every track. "October 31st, 2010" is the longest composition and probably one of my favorites as it summarizes all the strong points of this album. A long and mysterious introduction creates the appropriate mood for another fine display of occult black metal, once again with an appropriate balance between the most aggressive parts and keyboard driven spooky sections, where the band is especially inspired.

All in all, 'Sex Sex Sex (Ceremonia Daemonis Anticristi)' is a very solid effort where rawness and atmosphere are perfectly balanced, so any fan of black metal can enjoy this album. The vicious vocals and the solid riffing are perfectly complemented by the organs and keys, which enhance the occult and dark atmosphere that band wants to represent with its music. (Alain González Artola)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2022)
Score: 79

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/abhor-sex-sex-sex-ceremonia-daemonis-anticristi

In Grief - An Eternity of Misery

#FOR FANS OF: Death/Doom

The Italian trio In Grief was founded just two years ago, but the newcomers have been able to present a promising demo and EP prior to the arrival of the always decisive debut, where a new project must show all the cards. This didn’t seem to be a problem as the three musicians are already involved in several other projects, and the experience is always a secure value.

 

'An Eternity of Misery' is the name of the baby and, as you may guess, the music behind this title suits the title perfectly well. What In Grief dues is a 100% classic death/doom metal, absolutely devoted to what the genre has offered since its inception. So, don’t expect any great surprise, although I am quite sure that In Grief doesn’t want to please with you with surprises, but with the quality of its stuff, what fortunately happens. The album begins with an awesome starter entitled "Beyond the Dark Veil", which includes all the elements you want to hear in this genre. Robust growls accompanied by a solid yet classic rhythmic base and quite heavy guitars, this time accompanied by a beautiful violin, an instrument that always shines every time is used in the death/doom genre. In the subsequent track "Ярна", the guitars make a step forward in terms of addictive and memorable melodies which stuck in your mind as the song advances. The composition itself is a bit more upbeat in its peace, which is always a good aspect as the band tries to add some variety in a genre, where the pace is not always so heterogeneous, to say at least. The violin has another nice yet small appearance in the also quite enjoyable track "Queen of Babylon", where it performs another delicate melody accompanied by the guitars, which is the best moment of this composition. The guitar performance is excellent through the whole album with a good dose of excellent heavy riffs, but also some great harmonies and very enjoyable solos. It seems pretty clear to me that there is a good amount of work behind to make sound the guitars enough varied in each song. "Demons" is the real outsider of this album with a different approach and pace. Initially the song is quite soft and has some clean vocals, but it slowly evolves to a heavier section, where the aggressive vocals have a higher pitch than usual. The violin makes another appearance, which unsurprisingly is exquisite once again. The album has a great ending thanks to a trio of excellent songs. Here,the band shows the most excellent aspects of its music with a mixture of great riffs and memorable melodies (those guitars in the middle of "Close to Insanity", accompanied by some fantastic atmospheric arrangements are top-notch), more breathtaking violin additions and a great craftsmanship. Realizing how good are the atmospheric keys, I only hope that they will use them more often in future releases, as they are hypnotizing and enrich In Grief’s compositions in a very appropriate way.

In conclusion, In Grief’s 'An Eternity of Misery' is an excellent debut of pure death/doom metal with a great work in the compositions. I do hope they will explore more their most atmospheric and melancholic side in their future releases, as the violin and the keys are a more than welcoming addition to the already excellence, we can find in the guitar work. (Alain González Artola)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2022)

Score: 82

https://www.facebook.com/ingrief/

Serpent Spawn - Crypt of Torment

#PER CHI AMA: Black/Death, Possessed

La Iron Bonehead Records prosegue la sua politica finalizzata alla distruzione totale. A dar man forte all'etichetta teutonica ci pensa proprio una band proveniente dalla Germania e con un debut piuttosto ferale ed incazzato. Ecco come si presenta in due parole 'Crypt of Torment', atto primo dicevo, di questi Serpent Spawn, trio che vede in seno membri (ed ex) di Blood e Dawn. Quattro tracce isteriche, caustiche e velenose, che vedono i nostri partire dalla title track, un brano di quasi tre minuti, all'insegna di un assalto all'arma bianca tra accelerazioni al fulmicotone interrotte da brevi rallentamenti, con la voce del frontman Martin Witchskinner, a muoversi tra growl profondi e grida disumane. Le scorribande sonore continuano con il monolitico sound di "Conquering the Trinity", che ammicca qua e là ai Morbid Angel e ai Possessed, complice una ritmica granitica che non trova sosta nel suo acuminato avanzare. Il suono ci porta indietro nel tempo di oltre 30 anni, affiancandosi a quello classico di fine anni '80 e primi '90. Lo dimostrano le ultime due tracce di questo EP, "Carnage Divine" e "Skinned and Gutted", gli ultimi due marcescenti esempi di questo sinistro concentrato di death/black. (Francesco Scarci)

(Iron Bonehead Records - 2022)
Voto: 65

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/serpent-spawn-crypt-of-torment

Trolldom - I Nattens Sken (Genom Hemligheternas Dunkel)

#FOR FANS OF: Atmospheric Black Metal

The devotion to the roots of a genre or its golden era is something we can definitively find in almost every single subgenre of the metal scene, and the black metal scene is not stranger to this phenomenon. Although I consider essential for a genre to evolve and find new niches to enrich its core sound, I have always had a soft room for the bands and projects that bring back to the classic sound of the mighty '90s, where black metal was certainly something special. From time to time I have the chance of checking out new projects that successfully create albums, which are a true and tasteful portrait of that time. But it’s less common to find a project, whose debut consists of not a single album, but two opuses released at the same time. This is something outstanding and particularly if the quality is top-notch as it has happened this time. The Swedish one-man project Trolldom has assaulted the scene with two magnificent albums entitled 'Av Gudars Ätt…' and the present one, 'I Nattens Sken (Genom Hemligheternas Dunkel)'.

As it is a herculean task to review two albums, today I will focus on the second album 'I Nattens Sken (Genom Hemligheternas Dunkel)', which is a tremendous album of pure '90s atmospheric black metal. Starting from the production, you will immediately feel yourself immersed in the raw, yet atmospheric essence that forged the sound of legendary projects of that era. Contrary to some lo-fi production, the sound here is obviously raw, but well balanced and enough clean to appreciate the different instruments. There is a tendence to place in the front the vocals and drums, but the guitars can be also appreciated, and the symphonic/atmospheric arrangements are also audible, creating the hypnotic atmosphere that we love in this genre. The vocals are excellent, with these trademark shrieks which sound powerful. The tone is obviously high, though it has some screams which are particularly powerful, as it happens in the track "Draparen av Livets Veke". Pace wise, the album is fast as hell, the drums are a continuous exercise of blast-beats, that are crushing, but still have some excellent tempo-changes that make the drumming performance something to appreciate. From the ferocious album opener "Under Vinternattens Dystra Fullmane" to the last and epic track "Till Ruinens Svarta Rike", the listener will realise how relentless the pace is through the entire album. In any case, you will never feel that the album is boring as the drumming has some changes and technical touches that make it memorable. Furthermore, the great riffs and the excellent atmospheric arrangements, which are really captivating will definitively catch you. "Ondskans Svarta Brodeskap" is maybe the slowest track, because it slowly introduces you into a truly dark and dense atmosphere until the composition reaches a point where it explodes full of fury. As mentioned, the hectic pace doesn't mention that the album is a monorhythmic beast, the aforementioned track and the equally excellent "Inom Nattens Eviga Rit" show that the compositions have also good tempo-changes. The well-done contrast between the fastest sections and the mid-tempo or even slow parts, manages to enrich the compositions. The atmospheric arrangements are indeed a highlight of this album, with an excellent use of the keys, which appropriately complement the rest of the instruments. The ambient synthesizers, the simple yet effective pianos and the slightly symphonic keys are tastefully placed in each song, maintaining the recognizable style, but never sounding boring and exactly the same. The worth of using the same formula, but never sounding predictable is something that deserves all our praise.

'I Nattens Sken (Genom Hemligheternas Dunkel)’ is definitely an awesome debut that every fan of atmospheric black, and in general who loves black metal, should listen. The eight pieces of this debut are equally excellent and a fine example of the immense talent of the musician behind Trolldom. (Alain González Artola)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2022)
Score: 88

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/trolldom-i-nattens-sken

Varathron / Ungod - Apocalyptic Mysticism - split 7" EP

#PER CHI AMA: Black Old School

Due band che a modo loro hanno fatto la storia del black, s'incontrano sullo stesso EP. Sto parlando dei greci Varathron e dei tedeschi Ungod. Un 7" questo 'Apocalyptic Mysticism', targato Iron Bonehead Records, un'etichetta da sempre attenta a questo genere di sonorità underground. E ancora underground è lo spirito intatto dei Varathron, una band che segnava i primi passi a fine anni '80 e ora si diletta con questa canzoncina, "The Mystic Papyrous"che mantiene intatto lo spirito ellenico heavy black thrash di quegli anni anche perchè la song sembrerebbe essere stata concepita nel 1993. Ancora più marcescenti gli Ungod e la loro "Sinister Forms of Fallen Stars", un brano che sembra provenire direttamente dagli inferi, richiamando gli esordi ferali dei Bathory, con tanto di chitarre low-fi, produzione scarnissima, ritmiche tiratissime, quanto le screaming vocals del frontman per un lavoro consigliato ai soli aficionados di black old school. (Francesco Scarci)

(Iron Bonehead Records - 2022)
Voto: 62

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/varathron-ungod-apocalyptic-mysticism

Furis Ignis - Decapitate the Aging World

#FOR FANS OF: Black Old School

A devotion to the seminal sound of each genre has been something quite common in the metal scene, and something perfectly understandable. They were those first bands that let us a profound impression and made us love a certain style of music. Black metal is not an exception as we see many projects that try to reflect the majesty of those mighty projects appeared in the '90s and even in the second half of the '80s. Personally, I enjoy those bands that push the boundaries, as every genre needs fresh sounds, because without them the process of stagnation and mediocrity would be unstoppable. On the other hands, I also appreciate and find exciting to discover new projects, capable of bringing back those old sounds with quality, and if possible, to bring their own personality. The German solo project Furis Ignis seems to be one of them. The project was born in 2019 and after three years of existence and no previous known stuff, Furis Ignis has signed a deal with the always reliable label Iron Bonehead Productions to present its first opus entitled ‘Decapitate the Aging World’.

'Decapitate the Aging World' is undoubtedly a remarkable debut, consisting of six tracks, having each one of them its own personally and specific characteristics. In any case, the whole album and its songs are strictly tied to black metal’s foundations and classical aspects as they make me remember all the classic bands of the '90s. Through its 39 minutes, you will taste some chaotic riffs, melodic tunes and captivating atmospheric touches that show why black metal is such an especial sub-genre. Production wise, the album has an expected raw production, with a clearly old school touch, especially in the guitars that have a rough and sharp sound. Apart from that, the balance is quite good, as vocals, guitars and drums are perfectly distinguishable and have an equal presence, which is a basic aspect to fully enjoy the band’s music. Another interesting fact of this album is the length of the songs, quite unbalanced, as two tracks last half of the album’s time, while the other four tracks are around two to  five minutes. As you can imagine, the longer tracks have a greater room to appreciate Furis Ignis different influences. Anyway, the guitars are excellent regardless of the song as they sound quite elaborated, taking into account that this music is not technical or so complex, because the riffing is excellent both when the riffs are ferocious or more melodic. "Witness the Nightsky Palpitating to the Beat of Premonition" is the excellent album opener that summarizes all the good aspects of this powerful debut. Rasping vocals combined with an impressive guitar work, whose pace and intensity fluctuates between pure rawness and speed to a slower tempo with some interesting atmospheric touches. The surprisingly audible bass increases the feeling of listening to something truly loyal to the old times. The ambient arrangements remind me Burzum’s most hypnotic moments, which is something truly especial. This song is like you would discover a bastard descendant of Burzum, Mayhem and Darkthrone, which I guess it’s the wet dream of any classic black metal fan. "Guarding the Gate" is the longest piece of this album and again the longer duration gives us the chance of enjoying every single aspect of Furis Ignis full potential. Again, the riffing is memorable and as the song progresses, we can appreciate the amount of work done to build a long, yet irremediably interesting, piece of music. The initial and powerful beginning combines the impressive riffs, fast paced drums and some tiny and great atmospheric touches that make this part equally hypnotic, yet apt for a nice headbanging. The middle part focuses on what is maybe the rawest section of this album. It combines pure furious parts with some really crushing and raw riffs, until a more melodic essence progressively appears and its shares the prominence with the rawer riffs in a very inspired way, showing that brutality and melody can successfully coexist. The album closer "Donner In Den Bergen" is another interesting track as it has its own personality. It’s the slowest song as it has a more depressive and “doomy” touch. Its sombre nature makes this track a good ending for this powerful album as it is a sonic portrait of a devastated scenery.

At the end 'Decapitate the Aging World' is arguably one of the most interesting debuts in a long time, when we speak about old school black metal. The album is a compendium of what we love from this genre as it has been composed and executed tastefully. Furis Ignis succeded in creatin an album that has its own personality thanks to the respectable amount of work done. The intensity and variety are something undeniable and make this album a must for every fan of the black metal genre. (Alain González Artola)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2022)
Score: 87

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/furis-ignis-decapitate-the-aging-world

Runespell - Verses in Regicide

#FOR FANS OF: Pagan Black Metal

Runespell is one of those solo projects with an obscure origin. It was founded in Australia some years ago, by a quite active musician known as Nightwolf, who has been an active part of the local black metal scene. He was a member of projects like Drowning the Light or Necrostrigis in the past, among others. Currently, he shares its time between Blood Stronghold and Runespell. The second one is his best-known project, thanks to a quite solid discography and the exposure given by the fact that he signed a early deal with Iron Bonehead Productions, which has released all his albums so far.

Runespell plays pagan black metal with a raw nature, but at the same time strongly melodic. Music’s rawness principally comes from the production as it is far from being over polished. The vocals sound distant and dark, but not buried in the mix, which is maybe one of the most classic characteristics of tradition black metal. The instruments sound well-balanced, and they have a quite natural, if not “warm”, feeling, like if the songs had been played live as they seem not to have excessive adornments in the production and mixing. I think this is a good point as this kind of music sounds more authentic when it doesn´t sound too packed and artificial. Contrary to some other pagan black metal bands, which have a quite more upbeat sound, like a heroic march towards the war, Runespell’s music has a slightly darker approach as it is perfectly depicted in the excellent album cover art. In any case, the melodic touch of the guitar gives to the compositions the expected epic touch for bands that are influenced by medieval times. So, what we can find in this album is a very well achieved balance between darkness and light, perfectly executed in the very interesting five tracks included in 'Verses in Regicide'. We can also listen to two short, beautiful instrumentals songs with a quite strong melancholic and interesting atmosphere, that serve, in the case of the piece "Windswept Burial", to close this quite enjoyable album. The album opener "Structures of Collapse" is one of my favourite tracks, as it creates the appropriate mood to enter the album with a great initial section, that gains in intensity until the rasped vocals and the excellent guitars make a furious appearance. The initial rapid pace is modulated by a quite variable pace with its ups and downs in terms of speed. Nevertheless, the main role is for the excellent riffs with its strongly melodic nature that leads the song all the way through. This melodic excellence is kept in the following song called "Vengeance Reign", which has an opposite evolution in its structure. The first part is a mid-tempo composition with a quite up-beat main melody, until a clear change comes in the second half with a clearly faster approach. Pace-wise, this album has its variations, although Runespell seems to be more comfortable in the mid-tempo sections, where the melodic nature of its compositions can shine in its full glory as we can appreciate, among other fine examples, in the longest composition "Tides of Slidhr". Fortunately, the pace changes are appropriately place here and there to avoid this feeling of be listening to the same song all the time. Apart from that, the energetic nature of the riffs makes the songs to have an extra point of interest regardless of the pace.

In conclusion, Runespell’s 'Verses in Regicide' is a very good album of pagan black metal. The raw production contracts with the strongly melodic nature of the compositions, even though the combination is excellently done and the final result sounds robust and credible. (Alain González Artola)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2021)
Score: 80

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/runespell-verses-in-regicide

Vøidwomb - Altars of Cosmic Devotion

#PER CHI AMA: Black/Death

Arrivano dalla semisconosciuta Barroselas (Portogallo) questi Vøidwomb, oscuro e pericoloso quintetto dedito ad un black death old school, nonostante la band sia di recente formazione (2019). La voglia di ripescare sonorità mai dimenticate, viene a galla nella ritmica di "Summon of Utu-Shamash", che segue con le sue roboanti chitarre un'intro dal piglio liturgico. Poi spazio ad un sound old style tra chitarroni death thrash e vocalizzi d'oltretomba. Nulla di originale come potrete intuire, nemmeno a livello solistico, con un assolo di scuola floridiana (stile Deicide) davvero poco efficace. E allora si riparte con "Descent to Ersetu", tirata all'inizio e poi mid-tempo nella sua parte centrale, dove in sottofondo mi sembra di scorgere dei chorus celestiali, mentre la sei corde miete vittime con rasoiate di scuola black death svedese. Si prosegue con la cupezza sonora di "Architects of World Demise" e con quel suo incipit death doom a mischiare ancora una volta le carte in tavola, anche se poi i cinque lusitani si lanciano in ritmiche tirate (e poco melodiche) guidate dal growling cupo e a tratti acido di M.S.Vøid. L'ultima traccia è affidata alla title track e a quel suo inizio tribale che sembra mostrare un lato più personale della band, troppo poco per ingolosirsi di una release come questa, da consigliare esclusivamente agli amanti di sonorità qui troppo derivative e obsolete. (Francesco Scarci)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2021)
Voto: 60

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/v-idwomb-altars-of-cosmic-devotion

Orgrel - Red Dragon’s Invocation

#FOR FANS OF: Black Old School

Let`s go with another interesting project, which literally comes from nowhere. The Italian project Orgrel has signed a deal with Iron Bonehead Productions to release its first opus entitled 'Red Dragon’s Invocation'. As this label usually releases quality stuff, it is clear that the band’s first effort must have something which should be worth of our time.

As I have no more info about this obscure project, I immediately decided to focus on the most important thing, the music itself. One needs only a couple of seconds to realize that Orgrel plays black metal in its purest and most iconic form. Every second of this powerful debut is a sincere and passionate tribute to the genre’s gold era, the never forgotten '90s. Production wise, 'Red Dragon’s Invocation' is an album with a good balance in terms of merging the current production standards and a devotion to that era. There is no crystal-clear sound here, but a quite good production, where the main instruments can be easily distinguished, while the overall sound is enough raw to fit the music. The vocals sound high and powerful, just in the front but without being over present, as they share the main role with the guitars and drums. As mentioned before, Orgrel plays black metal as quintessential as the genre can be, so there is no need to lose time trying to give a more refined definition of the band’s sound. 'Red Dragon’s Invocation' is an album where speed, ferocity and melody are fused together in a very natural way, like black metal has always been, as least when it has not been perverted. There is no black metal if we only find brutality without melody and this Italian project has perfectly understood this indispensable condition. For that reason, the seven songs of this debut album have a healthy balance of these elements, including a good dose of tempo changes, which is always a welcome aspect in this genre. The album opener "Burning Ruins", which is actually one of the top songs of this album, summarizes all the strong points of Orgrel’s music. It’s a fast track with ferocious vocals and an excellent work with the guitars, which sound equally strong and melodic and with a good degree of elaboration, as they guide all the tempo changes of this track. The composition has a handful of them, as it flows easily between fast, medium, and slow sections which make the song truly captivating. The tremolo riffing is the king in songs like "Amor Fati" or the album closer, the massive "Carved in Blood", especially in the fastest sections of these songs and in general in the whole album. On the other hand, we can find slightly more distorted guitars in the slowest parts, being maybe the clearest example the headbanging inducing "Gate of Eternal Life", which could be defined the slowest song of the album, although it doesn´t lack a pinch of power.

Orgrel’s debut 'Red Dragon’s Invocation' will please of the fans of classic black metal, as the album keeps a quite good level through the entire work. It won´t shake the genre as the classic gems did, because I can´t find a song which is outstandingly brilliant, but I can´t either find a mediocre song or even section. In conclusion, everything here sounds packed, focused and consistent, giving us over thirty minutes of undoubted enjoyment. (Alain González Artola)

(Iron Bonehead Productions - 2021)
Score: 74

https://www.facebook.com/orgrelofficial  

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