Lamentari/Ex Umbra In Lucem/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Lamentari  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  with  elements  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  album  "Ex  Umbra  In  Lucem".

  Choirs  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  orchestra  and  symphonic  elements  which  also  mixes  in with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  goof  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times,  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  classical  and  acoustic  guitars  also  being  added  on  a  few  songs,  spoken  word  parts  and  whispers  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Lamentari  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  aggressive  and  symphonic  sounding  as  well  as  adding  in  elements  of  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death  and  apocalyptic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Lamentari  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  with  elements  of  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tenebrae"  and  "Arcanum  Ignis  Animae".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/lamentari  

https://www.instagram.com/lamentari_band/  
https://cult-of-lamentari.bandcamp.com  

https://hyperfollow.com/lamentari     

Exodikon Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Jozsef Posfai: We just had our album release show on 29th March in Hungary, which really was a blast!

We are also planning some domestic Hungarian club concerts and festival appearances in the foreseeable future. More to follow in the autumn.

 

2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released on the past?

JP: I believe it is more coherent, if we consider it from a musical point of view, it encapsulates well our current progress on creating our own path in the fields of black/death metal.

 

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

JP: This album is about analyzing Chaos from different life situations and through several emotional points of view. Speaking of manipulation, revolution, uprising, descent, all routes back to Chaos as the leading force beyond the gates.

 

4.From 2011 to 2021 there was no music coming out, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

JP: In a nutshell, we went on a hiatus, so everyone could concentrate on building his own career and existence. After we succeeded, we could restart to feed our craving for playing music . 

 

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Exodikon'?

JP: Exodikon covers a section of the Greek drama, where the choir draws the short conclusions of the story. At least in Hungarian. We wanted to find a meaningful name, and we felt Exodikon could be a perfect fit.

 

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

JP: The cover photo is made by a Hungarian artist called Bence Száraz. We gave him almost free hands in creating the album art, our key message to him was to try and capture sonic chaos in a picture. I believe he did a great job though!

 

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

JP: I would say our album release show was one of the highlights of the band's existence. Moreover, it was a great honour for us to share the stage with Mayhem in 2022 and I am Morbid in 2023 as an opening act!

Speaking of stage performance, our main focus is to deliver our music and lyrics as perfect as possible. We want to create an atmosphere where people can face their inner demons, to let them sink in their own dark minds. So it's more about catching feelings rather than overwhelming visuals.

 

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

JP: Yes, mainly in Hungary, but we are also willing to sail on international tides in the foreseeable future. You can find all the firmed concert dates on our Facebook site! 

 

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

JP: What actually reached us was quite positive, so cannot complain so far!

 

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

JP: It's hard to predict it in an exact manner, but I believe we will continue our path in black/death metal maze.

 

11.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?

JP: It's easier to describe what we are actively listening. Apart from my all-time favourite i.e. Dissection I'm recently into the post-black genre, and listen to bands such as Les Discrets, Karg, Harakiri for the Sky, Ellende, Heretoir and Groza.

 

Attila István Hekele: I have many favourite bands, like Suffocation, Morbid Angel, Terrorizer, Nile, Death, Dying Fetus, Obscura, Necrophagist, Vader, Korpse, Mortician, Dead Congregation, Cannibal Corpse, Anaal Nathrakh, Slayer, Sepultura, Destruction, Sodom, Emperor, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Darkthrone, Dark Funeral, Immortal, Celtic Frost, Triptykon, Dissection, Christian Epidemic

 

Gábor Dávid Borhidi: Necrophagist, Morbid Angel, Death, Suffocation, Cryptopsy, Vile, Malevolent Creation,

Impalement, Dark Funeral, Dissection, Immortal, Mgla,  Nordjevel.

 

Ferenc Pósfai: Death

 

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

JP: Nothing, just to thank you for the opportunity for this interview! All the respect goes to such webzines like you who still carry the fire of metal! All the best to you!

www.exodikon.com
www.facebook.com/exodikon
www.instagram.com/exodikonofficial
Spotify: SpotifyExodikon

Ossilegium Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording  of the new album?

Since we wrapped up the album, we’ve begun working on the next release - a split with an old friend’s band. We’ll release more details later on this!

2. In May you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past? 

Doing a full length was a challenge in and of itself. I'd been involved in full lengths in the past but had yet to manage the songwriting and production on a full length. That aside, we were able to incorporate some interesting song structures, more instruments in the ambient tracks, and some challenging production techniques.

3. A lot of your lyrics cover sci-fi and fantasy literature and games, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics? 

I love a good story. It is interesting to me, to take a character or setting from a book, and examine it through a song. For the new record, we drew from a few different inspirations for the album: we continued the theme of "ascendency to undeath" from our previous release, "Behold... The Glory of Undeath," we touched upon the Diabolic Pact made with the Powers of Hell and one Urbain Grandier , we explored a darker corner of Greek Mythology, just to name a few things. As far as video games are concerned, I wouldn't say that video games are an inspiration for lyrics (that would be in poor taste in my opinion) . I do get inspired by the atmosphere and soundtrack of video games from time to time, like Diablo I and II for instance. I definitely learned some chords from "Tristram Theme" and paid attention to how the soundtrack created tension throughout the game without being obtrusive.

4.Originally the band was called 'Empyreus', what was the cause of the new change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Ossilegium'?

In 2019, a few of us that were recently in another band together wanted to keep playing tunes together, and I had a bunch of songs that didn’t get used from Empyreus, so we started playing those songs. Once we decided that we were going to make a go of it, the name change was brought up, as there were almost no original Empyreus members left, and the new music definitely had a different feel - I was on board, after a short deliberation. We decided to pool a bunch of names together and go from there. Ossilegium was a name I had hanging around, along with a few other choice names for projects I was considering starting. Ossilegium was the standout choice. 

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

The artwork is a photo by Simon Marsden. His work is iconic. This photo in particular is called “Gothic Window, Castle Bernard, County Cork, Ireland.” I knew that I wanted to use one of his photos for this record, and as I was browsing through the pictures he had available, this one in particular stood out. It seems almost like a gateway to some underrealm. Mr. Marsden had a unique gift for making his subjects seem surreal and otherworldly.

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band while you had more members in the past, are you open to expanding the line up again in the future or do you choose to remain a duo?

We are rehearsing with two new members to complete the lineup,and things are going well. We anticipate a return to live shows sometime this summer. 

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

We got to play Metal Threat Festival at about this time last year (mid April) - that was an intense show! Playing with the big names that were also on the bill created a lot of pressure to perform at the top of our game. We’ve also had plenty of shows with great bands that have come through our city. I would describe our stage performance as honest. We’re there, first and foremost, to give a great performance of our songs. I would say that we deliver our music in a stoic and somber fashion.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released? 

 

We are still working on things with the new members, so we haven’t booked anything yet. I expect us to be back on stage this summer, if things continue going as well as they have.

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

We haven’t had much exposure worldwide, but the feedback we have received has been positive thus far. Hopefully we’ll be able to secure a stronger presence out there soon enough!

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

My biggest goal for our next work is to have a distinct narrative through the work. I also want to incorporate more traditional instruments - for example, in “The Heart of Darkness,” on the new album, I used a Nashville-Strung 12 string, a mandolin, and acoustic guitars with an interesting synth plugin and electric bass guitar. I was really pleased with the dark and dramatic atmosphere that was conjured through those instruments.

11.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?

It’s no secret that our biggest influences are many of the Swedish Black Metal bands from the 90’s. Not just the big names like Watain, Marduk, or Dissection that everyone knows, there were so many great bands that just didn’t get as much traction back then like Dawn, Unanimated, The Black, and Sacramentum (the list is quite long, honestly. We have an “influences” playlist on spotify, check there for an in-depth accounting, if that’s your thing). Many of those same bands are certainly more well-known now than ever before. I’m also a huge fan of early heavy metal like Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, and Scorpions, and as much NWOBHM as I can get my greedy hands on.

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

Yes! - make sure to check out “The Gods Below,”  available May 3 via Personal-Records.

https://personal-records.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-below

Haunted Plasma/I/Svart Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

   Haunted  Plasma  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  psychedelic  form  of  black  metal  with  elements  of  techno  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "I"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Svart  Records.

  Sci-fi  orientated  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  before  adding  in  some  spoken  word  parts.  Touches  of  techno  and  krautrock  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  

  Clear  singing  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  programmed  beats.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  psychedelic  moments  and  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  black  metal,  clean  playing,  harsh  screams  and  noises  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Haunted  Plasma  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  techno,  krautrock,  noise  and  psychedelic  black  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  writings  of  William  Gibson  and  Phillip  K.  Dick.

  In  my  opinion  Haunted  Plasma  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  techno,  krautrock,  noise  and  psychedelic  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Reverse  Engineer"  and  "Echoes". 8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/p/Haunted-Plasma-100064487333162

https://www.instagram.com/hauntedplasma/        

      

Reverb On Repeat/Self Titled/These Hands Melt/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Reverb  On  Repeat  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a mixture  of  blackgaze,  shoegaze ,  goth,  post  punk and  post  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2024  album  which  was  released  by  These  Hands  Melt.

  Melodic  shoegaze  style  guitar   solos  and  leads  start  off  the  album  while  the  clean  sections  of  the  songs  are  heavily  rooted  in  post  rock.  The  clear  vocals  are  done  in  more  of  a  gothic  rock  style  along  with  synth  also  being  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic   in  length.  When  the  music  speeds  up  on  a  couple  of  songs  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  black  metal  style  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  and  most  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.

  Reverb  On  Repeat  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  blackgaze,  shoegaze,  punk,  gothic  and  post  rock  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  romanticism  and  isolation  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Reverb  on  Repeat  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  blackgaze,  shoegaze,  goth,  punk  and  post  rock  and  if  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Aurorean  Dreams"  and  "Spawning",  7/5  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/reverbonrepeat

https://www.instagram.com/reverbonrepeat

https://reverbonrepeat.bandcamp.com

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Malconfort/Humanism/Transcending Obscurity Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Malconfort  are  a  band  from  the  united  kingdom  that  plays  an  experimental  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Humanism"  which  will b e  released  in  July  by  Transcending  obscurity  Records.

  High  pitched  black  metal s creams  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  and  avant  garde  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  clean  playing  is  utilized  it  also  takes  the  album  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction  and  spoken  word  parts  and  synths  can  also  be  heard on  a  few  tracks.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  while  elements  of  free  form  jazz  can  also  be  heard  at times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  dissonant  style  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction,  whispered  vocals  are  also  added  on  a  couple  of  songs.

  Malconfort  plays  a  style  of  black  metal t ha t is  very  avant  garde,  progressive  and  experimental  sounding  as  well  as  mixing  in  elements  of  free  form  jazz  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Malconfort  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  sounding  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cruelty  (Elation)"  and  "Carnivore  (God)".  8  out  of  10.

  Official Video

Video Stream

Malconfort Bandcamp

Malconfort Facebook          

Folterkammer/Wiebermacht/Century Media Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Folterkammer  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Wiebermacht"  which  will  be  released  on  April  19th  by  Century  Media  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  aggressive  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  operatic  female  vocals  a  few  seconds  later.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  symphonic  elements  are  also  added  into  the  heavier  parts  of  the  album  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  album  also  mixes  in  a  good  amount  of  classical  music  elements.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  songs  and  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  close  with  a  Velvet  Underground  cover .

  Folterkammer  plays  a  musical  style  that   takes  a  very  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  classical  and  opera  music  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  BDSM  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Folterkammer  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Anno  Domina"  "Kuess  mir  die  Fuessel"  and  "Venus  In  Furs".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/folterkammer.music/