Beltane Interview

1. Can you give us a brief history of the band?


Ok, Beltane began as a project that I decided to start in mid 1993, however I consider the official start in October ’94, when I recorded a song called ‘Into the Night’, playing all the instruments myself. From there, it developed into a three-piece band with Dyrkyn on drums and Thyiendalen on bass. Apart from a few glitches that lineup lasted from 1994 til 1999.
The next period from 2000-2003 was fairly dormant until I reactivated the project with Kvathairein on bass and using drumtracks instead of a drummer. On the (southern) Summer Solstice of 2004 we made a recording that became the first release of our Seasonal Release programme.
2006 saw Dyrkyn return to the band and also Noslohcin joined on guitar, so for that year we were a four-piece band. In late ’06 I met Baphgirl, and things started to change.
Early 2007 I left Nelson to relocate to the Manawatu area in the North Island, and Baphgirl, who had become my partner, took up the role of bassist and we returned to using drumtracks for live shows. Things have been much more successful since locating the band in the North Island – in ’07 and ’08 we played many more shows than Beltane has done in it’s entire history before then.
For the last half of ’08 until now, we have been pretty much focusing on the recording side of Beltane, and recently also on the online presence which has been paying good dividends. We have also started working extensively with contributing artists; one of these being Kvathairein, who has been making some great contributions.
For a more detailed history, have a look at the timeline on our Myspace page.

2. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you before?

The core ov our sound is Black Metal, and although we do venture into other styles the BM essence is usually preserved in the guitar sound and in many ov the vocals. However we are quite diverse and bring in elements ov Gothic music, Industrial/Electronica and aspects ov other metal genres from Hard Rock to Death Metal. We also experiment with including symphonic instruments and sculpted noise sources in our sound.

3. What releases have you put out so far?
Pre-Seasonal Releases:
Rehearsal April 5 1995 (Cassette, currently unavailable)
MCMXCIX (3 track CD, currently unavailable)
Rehearsal at Irongate 2004 (Bonus CD-ROM content on Cape D’Evil & CD from Lifespan Records)
Seasonal Releases:
Summer Solstice Live ’04 (Live Album)
Equinox Upon Fairfield AE05 (MCD)
WSOV (MCD)
The Brook Project VE05 (MCD)
Midnight on the Glen SS05 (MCD)
Autumn Craft 2006 (MCD)
Solstice’s Altar Returns – Winter6 (MCD)
Her Spring Eyes VI (MCD)
Jera (Album)
Jera 2 (Album)
Cape D’Evil (MCD)
…Through Darker Seasons (Album)
Shadowplay Desolate (MCD)
Summer ov Skoth (MCD)

4. What are some of the best shows that you have played and which crowds would you say are the craziest or best?
For the old lineup ov Beltane, opening for Impaled Nazarene was pretty cool. The Darkness Gathering ov 2003 was a great show, and about the best kind ov live comeback you’re likely to get. The 6/6/06 show was really cool because…well…it was the 6/6/06!! For the current lineup we played extensively in 2007 & ’08, and the shows at the venue ‘Valve’ in Wellington, New Zealand were consistently some ov the best as we had fun, had good audience response and made money, which always helps! ;)
Sadly, Valve is no more. Some new people have reopened it as ‘Hole in the Wall’, but they haven’t returned any ov our messages properly about booking a show.
The craziest show is easily when we played ‘Dannypalooza’ in Dunedin (New Zealand) in Feb 2008.

5. Are there any plans for a U.S tour?
Not really.. Unless someone with the wherewithal in the U.S took a severe liking to us and made it happen. We have been in contact with some people in Canada, so touring there is possibly more likely, but even then it’s a long way off.

6. How would you describe your musical progress over the years, I heard an old song on YouTube the other day and it sounded like a different band?
I would definitely say our songwriting is getting better, both in terms ov the quality we can achieve and the speed at which we can do it. Since we record on every Solstice & Equinox we make a lot ov CDs, therefore we need to write a lot ov songs. Practice makes perfect, as they say!
The song you saw on YouTube is called ‘Emily’, and probably sounds completely different to any other song on that CD (Jera), as all the songs do. We are a very diverse band and no two songs sound alike..! Someone recently described that song as sounding like "old Pentagram", which is kind ov funny as we have never heard them, hehe..
As for the productions, the quality ov these has improved over the years. I would describe our earlier Seasonal Releases as having a somewhat ‘underground’ sound, whereas the later ones have moved over into the professional sphere. I think the change here came really abruptly between the ‘Jera’ & ‘Jera 2’ albums, and probably has much to do with improvements in mastering techniques. In fact at some stage I’m planning on re-mastering the ‘Jera’ album, as I feel I could bring it up to nearly the standard ov ‘Jera 2’.

7. When can we expect new material?
If we’re working on a new EP, it’ll come out 3 months after the last release. If it’s an album, it’ll come out 6 months later. However, we update our Myspace tracks every 3 months regardless.
Our current project is a re-recording ov our ‘MCMXCIX’ (mini CD), since it’s the 10-year anniversary ov this release! We are very excited about this particular project, as the drumming is performed by Mark Dubanowski who lives, and recorded the parts, in Scotland. It also features our former bass player, Kvatharein on rhythm guitar, who recorded his parts in Wellington on the Equinox Eve – the same time we were recording our parts in the Manawatu Gorge Cemetery. It’ll be out in early June, we expect. Since it’s only 3 tracks, it will also feature extensive bonus material as CD-ROM content, probably Beltane’s 6606 performance.


8. What are you listening to nowadays and what are some good bands that you would recommend?
Well, as you could imagine working on Beltane how we do, means we spend an unholy amount ov time listening to Beltane tracks in various stages ov completion. We actually enjoy listening to our completed productions, and while this may sound narcissistic, if someone doesn’t like their own music, why should they expect anyone else to? (imagine a chef that didn’t eat his own food!!!) (
In the car, we constantly listen to Hades – Again Shall Rise & Bathory – Blood Fire Death, as the CD player is fucked and will only play those two CDs! Also as we are developing Satanica as a proper label now, we listen to a lot ov material that’s sent to us for release. We usually do this while we’re washing the dishes, and if we don’t get anything new the dishes mount up!
I’m a traditionalist, so I recommend the classics.. Bathory, Darkthrone, Celtic Frost, Venom, Mayhem, Burzum, Cradle of Filth (yes, CoF.. HA HA! Mainly their earlier stuff, but also their Sony album ironically), but I also like stuff which is not metal like Funker Vogt, Covenant (EBM), Beherit’s electronic stuff (I do like their metal stuff too ov course), Inkkubus Sukkubus, and The Mission, Fields of the Nephilim, etc. A fairly obscure metal/gothic crossover band, I think, who deserves more exposure is Willow Wisp. And while we’re on that, Fleurety, Summoning, Kreator and Coroner are great too.
Baphgirl’s tastes veer into the more industrial/electronica realm – Rammstein, Funker Vogt, Assemblage 23, Covenant, Blutengel, Front 242, Das Ich, Switchblade Symphony, Neuroticfish, And One, Cruxshadows, VNV Nation, Project Pitchfork, Astral Projection.. to name a few ov her favourites.

9. What are your main influences music wise or non music wise?
The aforementioned classic bands were certainly an influence in the fact that they made me want to play Black Metal. However I don’t think we’re actively influenced by anyone, musically, to a great degree. So in an ongoing way, other influences do indeed play a greater role in our music. The seasons are a very strong influence, which we have deliberately designed into Beltane to be this way. Life influences a great deal ov our lyrical output, and since we are Satanists, it’s essentially a life viewed from that perspective.

10. What role does Celtic Paganism play in the bands music or life?
I was born on Walpurgisnacht/Northern Hemisphere observed day ov Beltane. That’s basically how we come to have this name. I don’t consider it an accident that I was born on this day. Although we are Satanists, we are unlike many Satanists, Pagan as well in terms ov observing the Wheel ov the Year and using sympathetic magick. We are certainly interested in all things Celtic and Irish (especially the lighthouses), but we don’t restrict ourselves to worshipping Celtic deities, in fact as Satanists, we don’t worship ANY deities. We do use them in ritual magick, but are just as likely to use Norse/Greek/Egyptian & Sumerian ones in these workings as well. We do enjoy it when a riff comes out with a Celtic flavour, though!

11. What are some good books or films that you would recommend?
Books: The Satanic Bible. Everyone should read this book..! The Lord of the Rings (read the damn book!) Anything and everything on the Occult, The Lighthouse Stevensons by Bella Bathurst, Lords of Chaos, if you’re interested in the history ov Norwegian Black Metal.
Movies: Apocalypse Now. This should be watched often and in many different drugged states. Dr. Strangelove, the Omen series, Preaching to the Perverted, Secretary, Death Tunnel, The Lighthouse (by some Swedish dude.. look it up on YouTube), I strongly recommend you try to obtain a copy ov Mourning the Ancient’s video – HYPERLINK "http://www.mourningtheancient.com" www.mourningtheancient.com & all ov Paul Douglas Valentine’s stuff on YouTube (PDValentine).
Baphgirl recommends these books: Anything by Terry Goodkind, Sara Douglass, Tad Williams, Charlaine Harris, Raymond E. Feist & the late David Gemmell.
And these movies: Harry Potter series and porn.

12. How would you describe the metal scene in New Zealand and what are some good bands that you would recommend from your home country?
In the last 10 years, the scene has expanded massively. Alas, most ov that expansion has come in the form ov fuckwits. Most NZ bands are nothing but sycophantic fanboys, pallidly imitating their overseas heroes in the hope they’ll get laid. It’s a pity we cannot answer questions like these without taking interviews in a somewhat negative direction. We find the New Zealand scene nearly totally unsupportive ov Beltane and completely reluctant to give us the acknowledgement we obviously deserve. For all the bands that have played at the shows that WE organized in ’07 & ’08, not a single fucking one has returned the favour. This is why we have moved towards looking to the international market.
However, we do have some friends so I’ll recommend them. Sounds of Vengeance, Varraghor, Malevolence, Zspyne & Execrate/Pevertor.

13. Any final words?
Anyone who would like to hear more ov Beltane and purchase our CDs can do so at HYPERLINK "http://www.myspace.com/darkgodbeltane" http://www.myspace.com/darkgodbeltane . Also you can check out our website HYPERLINK "http://www.angelfire.com/band2/beltane" http://www.angelfire.com/band2/beltane . Remember that our CD prices are in NZ$, which are only worth just over half a US$, so they’re less expensive than they look! You can also obtain our releases as digital(MP3) releases mailed directly to your inbox. Contact us about this, for prices etc.

14.Thanks for the interview?
Yeah, cheers for the interview. It’s been an interesting afternoon filling out these questions, especially question 11 hehe.. ( We wish you the best for your zine, and keep in touch and we’ll keep you up to date with info and new releases to review...!

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Beltane/Shadowplay Desolate/2008 Review

 Beltane are a band from New Zealand that has a bunch of releases to their name and I would describe their music as Celtic Black Metal with a lot of diversity.

Drums are a mixture of slow and fast parts with some occasional blast beats, while the bass playing has a dark and heavy which goes over really good with the rhythm guitar and drums.

Rhythm guitars are very heavy with a lot of fast riffs that sound very dark mixed with some slow parts that sound very melodic. and there were not that many leads except for occasion and they reminded me of some of the 80's black/death/thrash metal bands and they utilized some slow melodic parts at times.

Vocals are high pitched black metal screams with the occasional clean pagan vocals mixed with some death metal growls and they use some female vocals on occasion that seemed to contain a lot of sorrow.

Keyboards when they are utilized sound very dark and have a feel of dark medieval times and at times they utilize an industrial beat, while the production on this recording sounds really good and since I got this album in MP3 format I did not receive the lyrics but judging from the song tiles they seem to be about Celtic Paganism.

In my opinion this is a really good ep and if this band got signed to a decent label they could be a really big name in the metal scene. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Intersteller Genocide Myspace Music Preview, January 2009

Intersteller Genocide are a symphonic black metal band hailing from Germany and I would describe their music as a very symphonic form of black metal. Drums are mostly mid paced when they are utilized while the guitars were very heavy and rhythm orientated. Keyboards are very diverse and utilize a lot of classical and black metal influences which gives the music the feeling of a horror movie soundtrack. I did not hear much vocals since the songs were instrumental but the ones I heard utilized a lot of clean singing.

In my opinion this band has a lot of good ideas and I would like to hear more guitars and heavier vocals which they probably have on their cd's. The best song on this page was a cover of Burzum's Dunkleheit.

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Black Roller Crop Rotation Interview

1. Can you give us a brief history of the band!
Ben and I have known each other for about a year and a half now and have been playing music together in an Ambient/Instrumental band called NORTHERN VALENTINE. We started BRCR awhile back to explore our fascination with dark ambient/drone/doom/black metal and it has become an obsession for us.

2. What releases have you put out so far!
We are currently working on recording and mixing our first full length album tentatively called, "PRAYERS FROM THE ROTTING SOIL"

3. When can we expect new material!
The Album should be done sometime in March and will most likely be released by GEARS OF SAND RECORDINGS

4. Are there any plans for a tour!
We haven't talked about it yet! We both have many other things going on(family, work, and hordes of other projects)but things are going so well and this has been so amazing so far, I certainly wouldn't rule it out!

5. What are some of the best shows you have played so far!
This has been a studio only project so far but we are playing two shows in March and hopefully many more as time goes on. We will be booking as much as possible!

6. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you before!

Dark pummeling heavy doom, noise obsessed with devastation, destruction and loss. Meditative atonement.

7. What are some of your main influences music wise or non music wise, I can hear a bit of Abruptum and Black Pentacost in your sound!

We are both really into Abruptum and black metal in general. WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, MOSS, NADJA, ASVA,NEUROSIS, NAPALM DEATH, LIGHT OF SHIPWRECK,PRURIENT,DARKTHRONE,CRASS, are some bands that I think have directly influenced us. I'm not familiar with Black Pentacost but I'm gonna check them out as soon as I'm done writing this up! As far as non-musical influences I always have my head in a book, reading is a huge part of my life. I also have a huge affinity for the outdoors.

8. What rule does Satanism, Occultism, Left Hand Path or Anti-Christianity play in your music and life!
Satanism, the occult, ect. have been fascinating to me since I was a young kid. I'm sure they are an influence on our music as well, but for the most part this band draws its influence from natural disasters and ecological devastation and the awe that comes from the realization that you are not at the top of the food chain, and not the center of the fucking universe.

9. What are some good books or films that you would recommend!
As I said earlier I am a huge reader. I just finished a fantastic book by ROBERT KULL called, "Solitude:Seeking Wisdom In Extremes." The author spend a year in solitude in the Patagonia wilderness. Intense, brutal stuff, very fucking metal! I love books on Arctic Exploration. "In the land of the white death" by Valerian Albanov and "Noose of Laurels" by Wally Herbert are two of my favorites. Basically, if it's good writing I'm into it, mysteries, politics, spirituality, nature writing, philosophy, history. If its good, its good. Lets see, films.. I recently saw and loved "No Country for old men" and "In The Year Of The Pig"(documentary about the Vietnam war)

10. What are you listening to these days and what good bands that you would recommend!
There is no shortage of great stuff. I've currently been listening to a lot of OM, ASVA, NADJA, MOSS,BLACK FLAG,CASKET ARCHITECTS. Some great experimental stuff, HUMANS ARE THE WORST INVENTION, BELLTONE SUICIDE. Some great ambient stuff as well, ANDREW WEATHERS, MY EMPTY PHANTOM, anything on GEARS OF SAND, FDH, OR SILBER RECORDS.

11. How would you describe the music scene in the East Coast and what are some good bands that you would recommend!
The scene out here is probably about the same as it is anywhere. You got some really great, dedicated, inspired and interesting people that I'm so glad to know and be involved with and of course, you have tons of jerks. I would recommend checking out anything on the above mentions record labels, GEARS OF SAND, FDH and SILBER RECORDS.

12. Any final words!yes! Thank you so much for the interview, it means a lot to us. BLACK ROLLER CROP ROTATION is going to be very very busy in 2009 so please get in touch with us. We are really nice people. Thanks again! -Jeffrey

13.Thanks for the interview!

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Vulture Industries/The Dystopia Journals/2007 Review

 Vulture Industries are a band from Norway that plays avant garde Norweigan Black metal in the mid 90's vein and this is a review of their 2007 album "The Dystopia Journals".

Drums are mostly slow beats that go along perfect with the music which is very experimental with some fast pats mixed in for good measure, while the bass playing utilizes a dark and distorted tone.

Rhythm guitars cover a lot of ground with some slow heavy riffs that utilize some palm muting and there is some mid paced to fast parts at times, while the lead guitars contain a lot of melody mixed with some distortion and the solos sound very professional and you can hear a lot of classic metal influences.

Synths when they are utilized sound very dark and avant garde which gives the music a very mysterious edge and they mix in some psychedelic and trippy parts as well, while the violins seem to be classical influenced, as for the vocals they cover a lot of ground with some clean opera type singing mixed with some high pitched black metal screams.

Production on this album sounds very professional and you can hear all of the instruments and this recording has a sound you would hear from major labels, while the lyrics seem very poetic and seem to have been influenced by gothic literature.

In my opinion this is a good album and it is good to hear an album like this these days and it has been years since I haver heard an avant garde black metal album like this, and if you are a fan of such bands such as Arcturus, Ulver, Fluerty, Vintersorg and other bands in that style you will not be disapointed. the best tracks are " Pills OF Conformity" and "Soulcage". HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

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Sinstorm 2009 Demo Review

Sinstorm are a band from Los Angeles, California which I would describe as melodic black/death metal and this is a review of their 2009 demo. Drums are very fast with a lot of blast beats and the beats slow down at times to give the music a strong rhythm foundation, while the bass playing is very fast and melodic with a dark tone.

Rhythm guitars contain a lot of variety with a good mixture of fast Swedish style melodic black metal riffs that also have a thrashy edge while the slow riffs contain a very strong death metal m influence, while the guitar leads have a classic metal feel with a lot of melody and fast guitar solos.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams mixed in with some death metal growing, while the production sounds really professional and you can hear all of the instruments, as for the lyrics they seem to cover some paganism as well as astronomical type subjects.

In my opinion this sis a very good demo and I would recommending looking up there music on MYSpace or YouTube, or even better buy the demo. RECOMMENDED

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Sinstorm Interview

Hello , i would like to introduce myself, My name is Noor LaCroix, i play guitar and sing for SinStorm.

1. Can you tell our readers about your band, how you came into existence and what you have accomplished so far?
Well Sinstorm came together very easily compared to some of the bands i have worked with in the past. I had already known Jeremy and i was playing in another band at the time when Sinstorm was created. It was an idea we had talked about previously, but had never come to fruition. Jeremy and I had already known Gory Cory for his reputation as a bassist/musician , so it was natural he was our 1st pick for bass guitar. As soon as we recorded some material I immediately called Robbie Sherre to track some drums for the band, Robbie actually decided to come on as our permanent drummer, We had him in mind originally because he is pretty well known around los Angeles for his black metal drumming, our line up was complete and nothing was holding us back any longer . Also , right now were actually finalizing some material were very excited to release , were also working on an accompanying music video.

2. How did you come up with the name Sinstorm?
Jeremy actually came up with it one day, and it just worked for us. Sinstorm has multiple meanings , id like to think of it as a representation for the constant struggle , and perpetual barrage of temptation between good and evil that everyone battles within themselves on a daily basis. I would even go as far as to say, to non pagans - Sinstorm could be considered the Devil's temptation to the darker more selfish and individualistic side of thinking.

3. How would you define your musical style?
Well our musical style is hard to define , genres almost depend on who you are talking to now , sometimes it seems there are more genres than bands! I've heard us described as Melodic death metal, Black metal, Melodic black metal, Symphonic black metal, and Death metal, to just name a few, but there is definitely a consistent theme of METAL

4. What are some topics that you cover in your lyrics?
With my lyrics, i definitely try to talk about themes that matter to me. For example Death, its an inevitable part of our life cycle, were ever moving toward that final point and its one of the only truths of our lie - saturated mortal realm. I try to look past the modern day structure our government mainly it's economical system has put upon us The cycle we have to live in, wake , work, eat, sleep, then work again for your entire life, the one and only life that you are given is robbed.Its so amazing how well those in charge have caged our souls, our entire purpose in life is to create revenue for them and were entirely happy doing it as well, they have completely won! People tend to forget that the way we live today isn't the way we have to live, and that we once lived without the same restrictions we have today.The topics i frequently write about are astrology, science, astronomy, pre -western religion pagan worship as well, things that i feel are true and un-tainted by modern propaganda. I Don’t even fully believe what is written in any of our history books , modern or ancient. Im fully aware history is written only by those who win battles and silence their enemies. My lyrical themes are based on subjects , that some are very uneasy even thinking about, For example the final destruction of the earth , and the hypocrisy of those in charge to name a few.

5. I know you have played shows over Southern California, what can metal-heads expect when they see your live show?
Metal heads can expect to see a raw uncut barrage of energy on stage, when we play we don’t try to act like were anyone else. We don’t go on stage and try to pretend we are someone or something else, this is who we are and we stand strong and relentless. We are true , we don’t even have unnatural effects but distortion on our guitars, were as raw and uncut as possible. What you see on stage is exactly how we are, there is no air brushing here , we take our performances seriously and rehearse rigorously to perform as such.

6. Are there any plans for a tour in the upcoming future?
Were getting that together as well, but for now i can stay keep checking our page for those dates at

7. How has the response been to your music so far from the metal community?
Actually its been very surprising, were getting a lot of great feedback and a lot of inspiring messages from people all over the world.

8. What was it that inspired you to become a musician and what bands or music styles that have inspired your work?
Realistically nothing inspired me to become a musician, i had always been interested in music and upon convincing my mother to rent me a guitar i just kind of took off with it!

9. What are some bands or music styles that you listen to nowadays?
Well nowadays i listen to a lot of Melodic Death metal bands and a lot of Black metal bands as well, symphonic and melodic. Wolves in the throne room , Windir, Dissection, and Emperor are just a few of the bands i listen to.

10. Does Satanism,Paganism or Occultism play any role in the music?
Well paganism is a role that is very center to myself. I feel like a lot of the reasons why our social structure is how it is today is influenced by western religion. (and not just Christianity in particular) I feel pre western religion (world) paganism is pure and un touched by the tainted ideas that rule supreme over most of the world. I feel like western religion if it were ever pure , is now soiled with hypocrisy and altered to reap political and economical power. If there ever was religion I feel like it’s gone and dead and those in charge of continuing this charade , realize it’s non validity and are common thieves with ultimate control over the emotions of their brainwashed piggy bank servants. Paganism mentally brings me back to a time when things weren't always as they are today , and has a huge influence over my lyrical themes.

11. What are the long term goals that you have set out for Sinstorm and what do you hope to accomplish with your music?
Were actually planning on an extensive show schedule globally , but were trying to complete the tracking before anything is set in stone.

12. Any final words or thoughts? I just wanted to stay thanks for doing this interview with us, and i hope it helped you understand SINSTORM and what kind musicians we are.www.Sinstorm.com