Apocalypse/The Age Of The Apocalypse/MiMo Sound Records & Publishing/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Italy's  Apocalypse  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  moving  away  from  the  black  and  death  metal  elements  of  previous  releases  and  focusing  more  an  an  epic  mixture  of  viking,  thrash,  power  and  heavy  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "The  Age  Of  The  Apocalypse"  which  was  released  by  MiMo  Sound  Records  &  Publishing.

  Synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  add  in a   great  amount  of  melody.  Clear  vocals  are  done  in  more  of  a  power  metal  style  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  the  aggression  of  thrash  metal  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  more  of  s melodic  traditional  metal  style.

   All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  a  lot  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  the  viking  metal  era  of  Bathory.  Acoustic  guitars  are  also  introduced  on  a  later  song  along  with  a  later  track  also  showing  the  vocals  going  into  more  of  a  blackened  metal  direction.

  Blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  most  of  the  recording  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction,  folk  instruments  and  Jew's  Harps  are  also  added  towards  the  end  which  also  captures  a  middle  ages atmosphere.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  history,  legends,  fantasy  and  mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Apocalypse  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  epic  viking,  thrash,  power  and  heavy  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Without  A  Name"  "Apocalypse"  and  "My  Land  And  My  Blood".  8  out  of  10.

https://apocalypseita.bandcamp.com/album/the-age-of-the-apocalypse

https://open.spotify.com/album/3H01TMTsHi1frXlSkzJQl8  

  

Obscurity/Ascheregen/Trollzorn Records/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Germany's  Obscurity  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  viking  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Ascheregen"  which  will  be  released  in  2025  by  Trollzorn  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  shouts,  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  words,  clean  playing  also  returns  on  later  songs  and  a  later  song  also  adds  in a  brief  use  of  clear  vocals.  

  On  this  recording  Obscurity  remains  true  to  the  melodic  mixture  of  black,  viking  and  death  metal  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  Old  Norse  Mythology,  the  violent  shades  of  Christianization  and  the  fractures  of  our  modern  world.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Obscurity  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  viking  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Intium  Dekadentiae"  "Dreifaltigkeit"  "Bekehrung"  and  "Dystopie  und  Schwanengesang".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.obscurity-online.de

https://www.facebook.com/obscuritybergischland

https://www.instagram.com/obscurity_official

https://obscurity.bandcamp.com

https://youtu.be/9hrsNf6K1Q4      

Garde/Harbringer Of Revenge And War/Heidens Hart/2025 Full length Review

 

  Garde  are  a  duo  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  viking  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Harbringer  Revenge  And  War"  which  will  be  released  on  November  28th  by  Heidens  Hart.

  Clean  playing  and  synths  start  off  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  go  for  more  of  a  clear  viking  metal  style.

  At  times  the  vocals  also  bring  in  the  harshness  of  black  metal  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Elements  of  folk  music  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  one  tracks  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  words  along  with  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  the  whole  album  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  with  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  fast  playing  and  blast  beats.

  Garde  plays  a  style  of  viking  metal  that  is  very  epic,  melodic  and  mid  tempo  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism,  Vikings  and  Germanic  Mythology.  

  In  my  opinion  Garde  are  a  very  great  sounding  viking  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Gathering  Of  Blood"  and  "Fallen  Heroes".  8  out  of  10.

  https://heidenshart.bandcamp.com/album/harbinger-of-revenge-and-war  

Havamal/Age Of The Gods/Art Gates Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Havamal  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  folk,  viking,  death  and  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Age  Of  the  Gods"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Art  Gates  Records.

  Tribal  style  drumming  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  orchestration  and  epic  sounding  keyboards  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  mixed  in  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  add  in a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  album  also  adding  in  touches  of  folk  metal  at times  mixed  in  with  some  power  metal  style  melodies  in  the  solos  and  leads,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  On  this  recording  Havamal  tales  the  melodic  sides  of  black,  death  and  viking  metal  and  mixes  it  with  folk  and  power  metal  to  create  a  sound  that  is  very  epic  and  modern  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Mythology  and  Paganism  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from Havamal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  viking,  folk,  melodic  death  and  power  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Pagan  Path"  "The  Shaman'  and  "Ashwalker".  8  out  of  10.

  https://artgatesrecords.com/artists/havamal   

Tedd Deireadh Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

1. We are melodic death metal band from Brodnica in Poland and we’re getting started on a polish underground scene.

2.You have your first full length coming out in August, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

2. As for our style, we’re aiming at heavy riffing along with melodies and it all filled with Michał’s growls. We’re still developing and learning, but in the future You may expect something tied to what we do now. 

3.A lot of your lyrics cover viking themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this toipic?

3. We’re viking fans as well as metalheads! As all of us are Amon Amarth fans, it was very likely that we’ll follow the topic with our debut for the lyrics. However, the main viking topic stays on the first album and we’ll move to another topic in the second one which we’re writing right now. What’s it going to be? You’ll find out in the future, but there are some hints �� 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Tedd Deireadh'?

4. The meaning of ‘Tedd Deireadh’ is ‘Time of the End’ in the elvish in The Witcher’s world. The inspiration is the world shown in The Witcher itself written by Andrzej Sapkowski. 

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?

5. The art covers vikings in a battle against enemies with a mysterious person in the middle. Who’s this? Let’s hope You can find out by yourselves �� 

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

6. As for our best shows, we’ll pick 5.07.2024 in Voodoo in Warsaw (support for Znich) and 20.07.2025 in Gdańsk (on tour with Morbithal and Morlord). Our stage performance is quite good and we really enjoy playing live, however for now, there are no additional features during live shows, but we plan some of them in the future. 

7.Do you have nay touring or show plans once the new album is released?

7. We’re on our tour right now – well, at the end of it. We played 19.07 in Toruń, 20.07 in Gdańsk, 26.07 in Poznań and 27.07 in Łódź and we’re playing 15.08 in Katowice (yeah, the premiere concert!). As for the future gigs, we’re planning them, but there are none confirmed yet. 

8.The new album is coming out on 'Via Nocturna'. how did you get in contact with this label?

8. Our guitarist Sony wrote to the label and shared released singles. Via Nocturna replied with enthusiasm, we set agreements and so the releasing of the album began. 

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of melodic and extreme metal?

9. For now, we’ve released just three singles, but we’re getting a lot of positive feedback from listeners from all of the world. It means a lot for us. Thank You all, guys! 

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

10. Musically we’re heading kinda the same way we took at the beginning. There might be some differences as we’re not going to play all the tracks the same way as previous ones, but the main musical concept remains the same. However on the second album You may feel a little of romancing with black metal. 

11.Whar are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

11. The list is going to be really long… It’s not a surprise that the biggest influence and inspiration is Amon Amarth and we say it proudly and with no hesitation. However each of us has different influences on our own. For example, our bassist/vocalist Michał is a really big fan of Opeth, our guitarist Szymon prefers Death, Behemoth and Children of Bodom, our drummer Tyr’s the most favourite band is Insomnium and our founder and guitarist Sony’s biggest influences are Mgła, Kanonnenfieber and Panzerfaust. We also all love classics like Slayer, KAT (only with Roman Kostrzewski!), Kreator etc. and black metal bands (mainly polish) like Batushka, Patriarkh, Varnheim, Zorza or Zmarłym. The list really never ends. 

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

12. We’re really happy and honored that You wanted to ask us these questions. It means a lot. We really hope that people will enjoy our new album and so we can see on the upcoming gigs – if You want us to play somewhere – write to us! Thanks for the interview, You’re great!

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Tedd Deireadh/Fight To Death/Via Nocturna/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Tedd  Deireadh  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  viking  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Fight  To  Death"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Via  Nocturna.

  A  very  heavy  and  aggressive  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  classic  Swedish  style.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  viking  metal  elements.  Screams  are  added  into  the  background  briefly  along  with  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  being  utilized  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  and  acoustic  guitars  are  added  on  the  closing  track.

  Tedd  Deireadh  plays  a  musical  style  that  take s the  melodic  forms  of  viking  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Vikings,  Battles  and  Norse  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tedd  Deireadh  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  viking  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fight  To  Death"  "Savior" "Mercenary"  and  "As  The  Sword  Falls".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/_D4a6th1H7k

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Kalrog Naar Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?

Hello to you and all the readers of ADifferentShadeOfBlackMetalZine, here's Cesare "Kalrog Naar " Sannino speaking! Thanks for this great opportunity to make an interview for your 'zine. I activated the Kalrog Naar project again in 2021, after splitting up my previous one-man-bands Animae Capronii/Trust your Heart (2003-2014/2015-2021). The intention was to return to play old school underground heavy metal with an occult dark fantasy feeling and various influences. The first incarnation of the project (simply called Kalrog) appeared beetween 1999-2001, recording just some unreleased acoustic demo tapes.

2.Can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you have went for on the recordings so far/

Yes, of course! While i initially started to play a classic underground epic heavy metal with also some punk rock vibes in the two early albums (Shocking Dark & Fantasy Warrior), with the third one (A Curse Take Place Over Esperia) i embraced a more epic gothic/folk/black metal style. With the last album i mixed both the things all together.

3.Since 2021 you have released a great amount of material, do you spend a great amount of time writing and creating?

I'm always in a costant process of creation. I have a lot of fantasy in my mind, and i feel the need to create in every moment. Its my life and my passion.

4.You refer to your music as being 'epic fantasy metal' and also write your lyrics in this genre, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

I was always influenced by fantasy/sci-fi literature. I wrote some short stories myself, and i also used to create role playing games/board games with the same topics in the past. I love to create fantasy stories with different characters created by myself, or to write lyrics inspired by books that i've read.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Kalrog Naar'

Anthoritan Kalrog was the name of my main character while i played Dungeons & Dragons in my youth. Naar was added later. Its the name of the Master Lord of Darkness in Joe Dever's Lone Wolf Roleplaying Books Series.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork on the latest album cover?

The cover artwork of Dark Metal represent the hero Lord Parias facing a horde of evil creatures in front of a dark tower. In the layout there's another drawing with the Warrior Princess Elbior searching for the Vampire Lord in his Castle's ruins.

7.With this project you record everything by yourself but have experience playing in other bands, do you prefer to work solo?

To work solo is a great advantage because you take all decisions by your own. With the other bands where i played/play is much difficult to choose every little decision, we must work together as a team and sometimes is not that easy at all.

8.Ove the years you also have done a great amount of cover versions, can you tell us a little bit more about the bands and songs you have covered?

I like to tribute both famous and also underground bands of almost every genre in beetween rock & metal, but also some darkwave/goth/synth-pop acts sometimes. I love to give my own interpretation of their songs in a very essential way. I covered too much artists to mention through the years with my various projects/bands, but my personal favs are the Celtic Frost & Dimmu Borgir covers.

9.Most of the albums are also released though your own label, are you interested in working with a different label?

I was, but i haven't found a serious label interested to release my music, probably because its too underground for actual standards.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of underground metal?

Very poor, cause i'm not a great promoter. 

11.Are you currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Yes, i'm the vocalist of the thrash/crossover band Violent Shit since 2007 (check out the new album 'Infamous Monsters', out now!!). Its the most professional band where i play. I'm also the vocalist/guitarist of the black metal band Nocturnal Flame. We also have our 1st full length out in 2024, with also the official video of the song Power of the dying saviour out on Youtube! Give it a view if you're into True Black Metal.

12.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

Hope to become always more professional and capable. Cannot wait to unleash more underground heavy metal upon the masses.

13.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Very interesting question. I'm always interested in very underground music, but i listen almost everything in metal (or rock or everything) which is epic and with feelings. 

I love bands like Enid, Celtic Frost, The Elysian Fields, The Sins of thy Beloved, Siebenburgen, Battlelore, Furia but also Sine Macula, Sarcofagus, Black Widow, Death ss, and also italian epic power metal stuffs like Pandaemonium, Shadows of Steel, Skylark, Projecto and many many others, too much to mention. And i don't open the argument Black Metal because we will have an overlong interview, eh eh!!

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 

Thank you for reading this long interview!! All hails to you for this opportunity again, and check out my music, freely downloadable from my pages, but i invite you to ask physical copies of my albums writing at capronii@libero.it.  Stay underground my metal brothers, and stay true!! Eternal Hails. Kalrog Naar. 

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Kalrog Naar/Dark Metal/2025 EP Review

 

  Kalrog  Naar  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  epic,  romantic  and  fantasy  themed  form  of  dark  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2025  ep  "Dark  Metal"  which  consists  of  re=recorded  songs  from  the  mid  90's  to  early  2000's.

  Heavy  guitars.  programmed  drum  beats  and  keyboards  start  off  the  ep  while  the  clear  vocals  bring  in  more  of  a  goth  metal  style.  Grim  black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times  while  some  of  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  some  of  the  slower  riffing  adds  in  a  touch  of  doom  metal.

  A  lot  of t he  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Some  of  the  clear  vocals  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  power  metal  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  a  later  track  also  adds  in  some  clean  playing.

  Kalrog  Naar  plays a  musical  style  that  takes  black, dark,  viking,  gothic  and  power  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Kalrog  Naar  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic,  romantic  and  fantasy  themed  dark  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lost  Artic  Horizons"  "The  Pyramid  Under  The  Moon"  and  "Portal  of  Infinity".  8  out  of  10.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxqJrOsGFcc        

Valkenrag/Fury Untamed/Art Of The Night Productions/2025 EP Review

 

  Valkenrag  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  viking,  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  ep  "Fury  Untamed"  which  will  be  released  on  April  25th  by  Art  Of  The  Night  Productions.

  Drum  beats  and  heavy  riffing  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  add  in a   good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  A  lot  of  the  recording  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  the  Swedish  style  along  with  some  of  the  faster  riffing  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  one  song  also  adds  in  some  orchestration,  spoken  words  are  also  added  towards  the  end.

  Valkenrag  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  forms  of  viking,  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  and  Slavic  Mythology.  

  In  my  opinion  Valkenrag  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  viking,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  'Fury  Untamed"  and  "Bleed  To  Be".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/kx6e0Toilhs

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Burning Creation Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

1. First, I want to say hello to everyone reading this interview. Burning Creation is a band we've been playing together since early 2022. Our music is a mix of melodic death metal, and our lyrics are mostly about Vikings and their beliefs. So far, we've released an EP "Never Dead Nation" and a full album "Sea Of Dead Bodies".

2.So far you have released an ep and a full length, musically how do they both differ from each other?

2. Never Dead Nation was our first release, and at that time we were still figuring out our sound and style. With Sea Of Dead Bodies, we knew exactly what we wanted. We decided to go for a rawer sound, more towards death metal. I think that’s the main difference between the two releases.

3.A lot of your lyrics cover Nordic Mythology and Vikings, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this subject?

3. We got interested in Vikings and Norse mythology mainly from listening to bands like Amon Amarth, Unleashed, Ensiferum, etc., and also from watching the show "Vikings". Later on, this interest grew after reading book "Mitos Nordicos" by Neil Gaiman .

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Burning Creation'?

4. The name of the band was thought up by our guitarist Marek. In the beginning, we played a lot of Amon Amarth covers, and one of them was Burning Creation. The name represents the start of something new for us, leaving behind the past.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album?

5. The artwork for the album, made by Damian Bydliński, shows four Vikings who crossed the "Sea of Dead Bodies," and now they're ready to continue their conquest. It’s a continuation of the story from Never Dead Nation, where we introduced the Viking army coming back from the afterlife.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

6. The concert I remember the most was at Leśniczówka in Chorzów in 2023. Even though it was cold, because it was December, the crowd was big and we had a lot of energy on stage.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2025?

7. Next year, we plan to play three concerts with All Sars, and also take part in "Brutal Valentine’s" in Garage Pub in Kraków.

8.On the new album you also had done an 'Amon Amarth' cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of once of their songs?

8. This song is really special to us. It represents the beginning of our band. We owe not only our name to it but also the style we’ve developed through these two releases. Another reason for this cover is to show that we’re not afraid to admit we’re inspired by Amon Amarth. It’s a kind of tribute to them for the inspiration their music gave us.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of melodic and extreme metal?

9. The reactions were mixed, but this mix of melody and brutal playing has been accepted quite well. The main criticism we got with the EP was that we were copying Amon Amarth, but with the second release, I think we’ve created our own style.

10.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

10. Our drummer, Jarosław also plays in a thrash metal band called Consumer, which existed long before Burning Creation. That’s all.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

11. On our next album, we plan to focus less on melodies and more on heavy riffs. We want to sound more like Unleashed than Amon Amarth. We’ve already written four songs, and two of them have lyrics. So, the work on the new stuff is going pretty smoothly.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

12. Most of our inspiration comes from Swedish bands that follow the Viking theme, but not only that. On the way to our concerts or other band’s gigs, we listen to all kinds of bands like Dark Tranquillity, Six Feet Under, Sylosis, Virgin Snatch, Septicflesh and a lot of  thrash metal.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

13. Thanks to everyone for reading! Check out our social media and of course, listen to our music on streaming platforms! Cheers!

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Burning Creation/Sea Of Dead Bodies/Via Nocturna/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Burning  Creation  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  viking,  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Sea  Of  Dead  Bodies"  which  was  released  by  Via  Nocturna.

  Water  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  epic  sounding  keyboards  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  A  lot  of  the  album  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  closing  track  is  an  Amon  Amarth  cover.

  Burning  Creation  plays  a  viking  themed  form  of  melodic  blackened  death  metal  in  the  Swedish  tradition.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Nordic  Mythology,  Vikings,  Scandinavian  Folklore  and  Historical  Events.

  In  my  opinion  Burning  Creation  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  viking,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eaten  By  Hulder"  "The  Einherjer's  Return"  "Under  The  Fading  Sun"  and  "As  The  ocean  Takes  us  Down".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/4b3kDcdS9rM

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Kromlek/- III - III/Trollzorn Records/2024 Double Album Review

 

  Kromlek  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  viking,  folk,  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "-  III  -  III"  which  was  released  by  Trollzorn  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  synths  and  keyboards  also  give  the  album  more  of  an  epic  atmosphere  when  they  are  utilized.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  folk  metal  elements.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  viking  chants,  the  album  also  has  its  symphonic  moments  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  the  cosmos  of  pre-Christian  philosophy.  and  worldview  and  its  beginnings  and  origins.

  In  my  opinion  Kromlek  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  viking,  folk,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Þursöld  III  Nunatak"  "Totem  Tales  II  aRktur"  and  "Moritvrvs  Immortalis".  8  out  of 10.

  https://youtu.be/grm92sBnGOU

https://www.facebook.com/kromlekofficial  

Apocalypse/Pandaemonium/MiMi Sound Records & Publishing/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Apocalypse  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  has  had  an  album  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  an  epic  mixture  of  black,  viking,  death,  thrash and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2024  album  "Pandeaemonium"  which  was  released  by  MiMi  Sound  Records  &  Publishing.

  Keyboards  and  classical  music  elements  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  lot  of  black  metal  screams.

  A  lot  of  the  riffing  mixes  in  touches  of  death  and  thrash  metal  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  slower  sections  of  the  album  are  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  doom  and  gothic  metal  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  bringing  in  more  of  a  melodic  traditional  metal  style.

  Clear  viking  metal  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  demonic  growls  also  being  utilized  briefly.  A  lot  of  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  era  as  well  as  being  very  modern  at  the  same  time,  a  couple  of  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length  and a  few songs  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  witchcraft  burnings  and  darkness  themes.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Apocalypse  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  epic  black,  viking,  doom,  death,  thrash  and  heavy  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hanged,  Drawn  And  Quartered"  "The  Well  Of  Deception"  and  "Pandeaemonium".  8  out  o  10.

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Asenblut/Entfesselt/Massacre Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

   Asenblut  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  viking  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Entfesselt"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Massacre  Records.

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  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  lot  of  Swedish  influences.  

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  viking  back  up  shouts.  

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly, tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  and  a  couple  of  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  orchestral  sounds.  and  clean  playing.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  Vikings,  Paganism  and  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Asenblut  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  viking  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Das  Ende  der  Gotter"  "Wie  ein  Berserker"  "Hexengericht"  and  "Nox  Nostra  Est".  8  out  of  10.

  https://lnk.to/entfesselt

Kvaen/The Formless Fires/Metal Blade Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Kvaen  are  a  solo  project  from  Sweden  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  pagan  black  and  death  metal  with  elements  of  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2024  album  "The  Formless  Fires"  which  will  be  released  on  June  21st  by  Metal  Blade  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  aggressive  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can b e  heard  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  elements  of  death  and  speed  metal.

  Keyboards  are  also  added  into  the  background  briefly  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  and  clean  playing  as  well  as  some  clear  pagan  vocals  also  being  utilized  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Paganism  and  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Kvaen  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  pagan  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Formless  Fires"  "The  Ancient  Gods"  and  "The  Wings  of  Death".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/officialkvaen  

https://www.instagram.com/officialkvaen 

Ren Marabou And The Berserkers/Helgafjell/WormHoleDeath Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Ren  Marabou  And  The  Berserkers  are  a  band  from  Ireland  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  aggressive  form  of  viking/pagan  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Helgafjell"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  Viking  horns  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  heavier  and  melodic  direction  while the  vocals a re  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times.  Clear  pagan  singing  is  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  folk  instruments,  clean  playing,  spoken  word  parts  and  synths.  A  lot  of  the  album  brings  in  more  of  a  modern  metal  style  along  with  some  old  school  touches  as  well  as  some  of  the  riffing  and  vocals  also  adding  in  elements  of  thrash  metal  and  most  of  the  songs  also  stick  to  more  of  a  mid  tempo  direction.  

   Ren  Marabou  And  The  Berserkers  plays  a  musical style  that  takes  viking,  pagan,  melodic  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Mythology,  History  and  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ren  Marabou  And  The  Berserkers  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  viking,  pagan,  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Journeys  Of  Rig"  "Curse  Striker"  "The  Duel  of  Flint  And  Steel"  and  "Holy  Mountain".  8  out  of  10.

  www.facebook.com/renmarabou

www.instagram.com/renmarabouandtheberserkers

www.youtube.com/@RenMarabouandtheBerserkers    

Eye Of Fenris/The House Of Hades/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Eye  Of  Fenris  are  an  international  band  with  members  from  Denmark,  Portugal  and  the  United  States  that  plays  viking  metal  with  elements  of  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2023  album  "The  House  Of  Hades"  

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  song  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  Elements  of  thrash  and  groove  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  a  couple  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  which  also  adds  in   touch  of  industrial  and  most  of  the  album  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  direction  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  folk  instruments.

  Eye  Of  Fenris  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  viking,  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Greek  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Eye  of  Fenris  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  viking,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Spartans  Rise"  "The  Labyrinth  Of  Minos"  {"Medusa's  Lair"  and  "All  Hail  Hades".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.youtube.com/@EyeofFenris

https://www.tiktok.com/@eye.of.fenris

https://www.facebook.com/eyeoffenris

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4mMRnBBJgh1qfHh0Qm1YqO

https://eyeoffenris.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/eye-of-fenris

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/eye-of-fenris/1697536262

https://www.deezer.com/en/artist/221726425

https://www.amazon.com/music/player/artists/B0CBW5R18S/eye-of-fenris  

  

From North/Raven Banner/At Dawn Records/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Sweden's  From  North  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  melodic  mixture  of  folk,  viking  and  death  metal  and  this  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Raven  Banner"  which  will  be  released  on  November  24th  by  At  Dawn  Records.

  Melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  off  the  album  while  also  bringing  in  elements  of  viking  metal.  Clean  pagan  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  aggressive  vocals  being  mostly  black  metal  screams  as  well a s  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  touches  of  folk  music  are  also  added  into  certain sections.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  lot  of  influences  from  the  more  melodic  side  of  death  metal.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  back  up  shouts  along  with  some  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  synths,  acoustic  guitars  and  folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  From  North  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  folk,  viking  and  melodic  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Raven  Banner"  "The  Queen"  "Rune  Stones"  and  "Winter  Blot".  8  out  of  10.

  Website:https://www.fromnorth.se

Bandcamp:https://atdawnrecords. bandcamp.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ fromnorthsweden
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/ channel/UC_ QcGv1QS5NPE3ryqpENgTQ
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/ artist/3uHD6BHJ6mC0HKzHCi77wV? si=eQp6JAovTouA1f2RUfW9Ng