Tag Archives: bavaria

Album Review – Groza / Nadir (2024)

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Driven by emotion, anger and sadness, this German Black Metal horde will strike you like a lightning storm to the sound of their thrilling new album.

Groza, or “Гроза” in Cyrillic, which means “lightning storm”, “horror” or “disgust” in a few Slavic languages, are an up-and-coming Black Metal band formed in 2016 in Mühldorf am Inn, Bavaria, Germany, crafting a sound driven by emotion, anger and sadness, combining searing melodies, raging blast beats and melancholy induced clean guitar passages into a melodic, dynamic blend, which is exactly what you’ll get in their new album Nadir. Recorded, edited, mixed and produced by the band’s own founder P.G., mastered by David Pilz, and with the guitars re-amped by Georg Traschwandtner, the new album by the aforementioned P.G. on lead vocals, bass, guitars, orchestration and samples, U.A. on lead guitars and backing vocals, and T.H.Z. on drums is perfect for fans of Harakiri For The Sky, Mgla, Uada, and Alcest, delivering dark and melodic music for our avid ears.

The atmospheric, haunting intro Soul : Inert sets the stage for the trio to darken our minds and souls with Asbest, a powerful Melodic Black Metal tune with progressive and experimental nuances where P.G. roars with tons of anger in his blackened heart supported by the thunderous beats by T.H.Z., not to mention how metallic their riffs sound and feel. Then we have Dysthymian Dreams, the first single of the album, offering our avid ears eight minutes of Black Metal magic led by the sharp, piercing guitars by P.G. and U.A., or in other words, it’s a brutal yet melodic and enfolding aria of darkness by Groza. Equal. Silent. Cold. keeps the atmosphere burning to the sound of P.G.’s infernal vociferations while the drums by T.H.Z. exhale old school Black Metal, resulting in one of the most ferocious and detailed songs of the album; and it’s time for a nine-minute musical journey through the most obscure corners of the mind in Deluge, reminding me of some of the most recent creations by Gaerea, with their riffs and blast beats mercilessly devouring our rotten souls. Lastly, featuring J.J. & M.S. of bands like Kard and Harakiri for the Sky, we have Daffodils, a beyond dense, multi-layered and pensive Black Metal aria with lots of elements from Post-Black Metal and Atmospheric Black Metal, where the drums by T.H.Z. sound sensational throughout the entire song and with all agony and despair flowing from the last part of the song being absolutely climatic and piercing.

The music by Groza is haunting, mesmerizing, evil and ethereal all at once, and Nadir is the perfect depiction of the band’s musical power, talent and focus. Hence, don’t forget to give such a distinct horde a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to stream their music on Spotify, and of course to purchase a copy of the flammable Nadir from their own BandCamp page, from AOP Records, from Napalm Records, from Indiemerchstore, from MVD Entertainment, or click HERE for all digital platforms. Because Groza do not just play Black Metal – they take Black Metal to new and exciting heights.

Best moments of the album: Dysthymian Dreams and Equal. Silent. Cold.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 AOP Records

Track listing
1. Soul : Inert 1:21
2. Asbest 6:54
3. Dysthymian Dreams 8:10
4. Equal. Silent. Cold. 6:59
5. Deluge 9:18
6. Daffodils 9:53

Band members
P.G. – lead vocals, bass, guitars, orchestration, samples
U.A. – backing vocals, lead guitars
T.H.Z. – drums

Guest musicians
J.J. and M.S. – vocals on “Daffodils”
“Bandhouse” crew – choir on “Daffodils”

Metal Chick of the Month – Jenny Diehl

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Valhalla is calling, Jenny!

There’s one online article that says that spring is “the season during which the natural world revives and reinvigorates after the colder winter months,” and after reading that I thought the whimsical sound of the harp would be ideal to represent the beauty of the spring bloom and the warmth of the sun. Having said that, our metal lady of the month of April obviously had to master the art of harp playing, but beware of her incendiary moves, as she’s also a very talented dancer who loves to play with fire. Hailing from the stunning Bavaria (or Bayern if you prefer), in Germany, she’s the harpist for The Dark Side Of The Moon, a performer and dancer with Feuerschwanz, an art director and filmmaker with Dream Film Factory, and a photo designer with Aurora Photography. I’m talking about the multi-talented Jenny Diehl, a woman who will hypnotize you with the soothing sound of her harp before burning you in flames with her moves and charisma.

Having just released their debut album called Metamorphosis in 2023, The Dark Side Of The Moon is a fantastic metal quartet formed back in 2021 by members of Feuerschwanz, Amaranthe and Ad Infinitum (as a matter of fact, the band was formed after a bet between two of the band’s members), who together love to explore unseen lands and dive into the adventures of worldwide heroic characters. Currently comprised of Hans Platz (of Feuerschwanz), Morten Løwe Sørensen (of Amaranthe), our metal lady Jenny Diehl (also of Feuerschwanz), and one of our previous metal ladies Melissa Bonny (of Ad Infinitum), the quartet aims at revisiting and transforming the greatest themes of cinematography, TV shows and video games in addition to a few songs of their own, taking the listener on a musical quest, from the depths of Moria up to the Iron Throne.

Blending the powerful and gripping sound of Symphonic Metal with classical and orchestral elements, the band offers to fans of the genre a mix of original and cover songs, always dedicated to their favorite warriors, books and movies including the likes of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Here is where things get really interesting for Jenny, as the unique sound of her harp adds a fragile layer to the heaviness of the overall sound of the band, something really hard to find in the heavy music scene worldwide. All songs from Metamorphosis will darkly embrace you thanks to the charming sound of Jenny’s harp, as well as the sounds crafted by the other band members, of course, plus guest musicians Charlotte Wessels (Delain), Fabienne Erni (Eluveitie, Illumishade), Rusanda Panfili (Hanz Zimmer Live) and Tom S. Englund (Evergrey).

Furthermore, you can enjoy all of the band’s beautiful official videos on YouTube, including the songs The Gates Of Time, Legends Never Die, New Horizons, First Light, Double Trouble/Lumos!, and their cover version for the Game of Thrones song Jenny Of Oldstones (as well as a very cool making of for it), among others. Perhaps the best song to depict the talent by our beloved Jenny armed with her harp is Legends Never Die, where her harp intro sets the tone for the rest of the song, embellishing the airwaves in a majestic way and, therefore, making the song stand out as one of the most amazing ones of the past few years in the Symphonic Metal universe.

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However, as aforementioned, if you think Jenny is just a delicate flower in a sea of heaviness, you must see what she has been doing since 2012 alongside Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany-based Medieval Folk Metal/Rock project Feuerschwanz. Of course, there are a few of their albums which include contributions from Jenny as a harpist, those being their 2016 album Sex is Muss on the songs Ein Schelm, wer Böses dabei denkt, Taugenix, and Nachtlied; their 2018 album Methämmer; and their 2020 album Das elfte Gebot, all of them absolutely worth a full and detailed listen, by the way, but Jenny offers even more as a member of such distinct Teutonic group. Jenny also performs as a dancer during Feuerschwanz’s live performances under the alias Myu Mieze, with countless online videos offering you a chance to witness her contribution to the band’s live shows, including their performance at Wacken Open Air 2022. Furthermore, you can also enjoy this very relaxed and fun video of Jenny taking us all on a journey through the homes of all members of Feuerschwanz, showing what the band is doing while they’re not on tour or in the studio, as well as a little bit of backstory about the band.

Jenny also holds a Bachelor of Arts, which led her to found Dream Film Factory alongside Russian cameraman and photographer Artem Selennov, and Alexander Dannhauser a few years ago. The trio offers a full-scale production service, from concept to finished film, creating an original film with its own distinctive look from any idea using modern, unique and tried-and-tested film techniques. They also offer individual services which include camera and image design, set design and prop construction, editing and color grading, conception and marketing, and stop-motion puppet construction, and you can check more of their work by visiting their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Linktree; for instance, simply visit their project page on their official website and you’ll see their work with several bands the likes of Burning Witches, Subway to Sally, J.O.E., Feuerschwanz, The Dark Side Of The Moon, Destruction, Goath, Nothgard, and more, with all videos being stunning, detailed and truly unique, like Was Ihr Wollt, by German Folk Metal band Subway to Sally, and Dissolving Flesh Redemption, by German Black/Death Metal horde Goath.

Lastly, Jenny also started to work as a freelance photographer under the name/brand Aurora Photography back in 2018, but as the project’s official Facebook page hasn’t been updated since mid-May 2021 I wonder if she has gotten way too busy with her bands and her film company to the point she can’t find enough time to focus on photography. Anyway, all photos available on Facebook are beautiful and deserve our attention, and maybe one day she’ll reignite her work as a photographer and keep delivering more awesomeness to our eyes. For now, I think there’s enough Jenny for us to enjoy with The Dark Side Of The Moon and with Feuerschwanz, with the sound of her harp and her fiery dance moves making the world of heavy music a much better place for all of us metalheads who love a good combination of music and images with a great storyline.

Jenny Diehl’s Official Facebook page
Jenny Diehl’s Official Instagram
Jenny Diehl’s Official TikTok
Jenny Diehl’s Official Linktree
The Dark Side Of The Moon’s Official Facebook page
The Dark Side Of The Moon’s Official Instagram
The Dark Side Of The Moon’s Official YouTube channel
Feuerschwanz’s Official Facebook page
Feuerschwanz’s Official Instagram
Feuerschwanz’s Official YouTube channel
Feuerschwanz’s Official Twitter

Album Review – Mystic Prophecy / Hellriot (2023)

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German’s own Heavy and Power Metal division is ready to unleash hell with their incendiary twelfth studio album.

Formed initially as a side project in the already distant year of 2000 in Bad Grönenbach, Germany by Progressive Metal band Valley’s Eve bandmates R.D. Liapakis and Martin Albrecht, the unrelenting Heavy and Power Metal outfit Mystic Prophecy has been on a roll since their inception, having released already 12 studio albums (plus their 2021 EP Hail to the King), including their newborn spawn titled Hellriot, following up on their highly acclaimed effort Metal Division. Produced by the band’s own frontman R.D. Liapakis (aka Roberto Dimitri Liapakis, who’s by the way the band’s only remaining founding member), mixed and mastered by Henrik Udd at Studio Fredman, and displaying a beyond metalized artwork by Dušan Marković, Hellriot is an ode to all things metal masterfully brought into being by the aforementioned R.D. Liapakis together with guitarists Evan K and Markus Pohl, bassist Joey Roxx, and drummer Hanno Kerstan, positioning it as one of the top Heavy and Powerl Metal albums of 2023 without a shadow of a doubt.

The incendiary riffs by Evan and Markus will put you to bang your head like a true metalhead in the breathtaking title-track Hellriot, while R.D. beautifully declaims the song’s tribute-to-the-legends lyrics (“We are the legion of the damned / We let the dragons fly together till the end / Screaming for vengeance, the number of the beast / With the devil by our side the dogs of hell unleashed”) in a lecture in classic Heavy Metal with Thrash and Speed Metal nuances, followed by Unholy Hell, darker and heavier than its predecessor, with Joey shining armed with her bass while Hanno pounds his drums nonstop in the name of darkness. Then we have Demons Of The Night, bringing forward a galloping rhythm inspired by the music by Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, sounding absolutely solid and entertaining, and led by the scorching guitars by Evan and Markus. In Metal Attack the name of the song says it all, offering us all a vibrant onrush of Power Metal full of metallic bass punches, fierce riffs and hammering drums, whereas Paranoia is slightly below the rest of the album in terms of energy (not to mention all background effects sound out of place) despite its decent backing vocals and drums. And back to their more traditional Heavy and Power Metal mode we face Revenge And Fire, a headbanging feast where R.D. once again kicks some serious ass on vocals supported by the fiery music blasted by his bandmates.

After that, the low-tuned, menacing bass by Joey kicks off the beyond exciting Rising With The Storm, a lesson in old school Heavy Metal that will certainly put you to dance, with R.D.’s vocals being nicely complemented by the song’s spot-on backing vocals. In Road To Babylon the band presents poetic words are declaimed by R.D. (“One man is born to conquer the world / The signs of his faith are falling / One man in the name of gods / Hail to the king all nations are calling / With fire and steel he sends his warning / The Persian king Darius is falling”) while the rest of the band crafts a dark yet very melodious sound, resulting in an amazing creation by those Teutonic metallers, and things get even better in Azrael, one of the best songs of the album, paying homage to the angel of death with Joey being on fire not only armed with her rumbling bass but also with her powerful backing vocals. In other words, it’s impossible to stand still to this horn-raising hymn, which is also the case in Cross The Line, a beautiful fusion of Heavy and Power Metal with modern-day Hard Rock by Mystic Prophecy presenting some striking solos by Evan and the hammering drums by Hanno, while R.D. invites us all to sing along the song’s stylish lyrics together with the band. Finally, closing this flammable album of heavy music we have World On Fire, where once again we’ll feel the urge to start dancing, banging our heads and raising our fists in the air nonstop. The world might be coming to an end, but at least it will be to the sound of this stylish metal tune.

This fantastic explosion of classic German Power Metal can be appreciated in all of its glory on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course in order to support such amazing band from the European scene you can purchase a copy of Hellriot by clicking HERE, and catch the band live in your city by clicking HERE. Furthermore, R.D. Liapakis and his crew are also waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with news, more of their music and other nice-to-know details about them, inviting you to join their metallic army in their quest for heavy music. Mystic Prophecy are unleashing hell with their new album, and may their inner fire keep burning bright for decades to come with more superb releases like this one.

Best moments of the album: Hellriot, Rising With The Storm, Azrael and Cross The Line.

Worst moments of the album: Paranoia.

Released in 2023 ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records

Track listing
1. Hellriot 3:21
2. Unholy Hell 3:32
3. Demons Of The Night 3:15
4. Metal Attack 4:13
5. Paranoia 3:45
6. Revenge And Fire 3:31
7. Rising With The Storm 4:13
8. Road To Babylon 4:09
9. Azrael 3:30
10. Cross The Line 4:00
11. World On Fire 4:04

Band members
R.D. Liapakis – vocals
Evan K – lead guitars
Markus Pohl – rhythm guitars
Joey Roxx – bass
Hanno Kerstan – drums

Album Review – Böllverk / Heading For The Crown (2022)

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Get ready to bang your heads nonstop to the debut album by this Bavarian act, offering powerful Teutonic material forged in the gloriously timeless style of early Accept, Warlock and Running Wild.

Formed in 2018 in Aschaffenburg, a city in Bavaria, Germany, and after a few lineup changes, the talented Heavy Metal squad Böllverk has finally unleashed their debut effort, entitled Heading For The Crown, offering pithy, refreshing and powerful Teutonic material forged in the gloriously timeless style of early Accept, Warlock and Running Wild for the old school-addicted battlevest banger fraction. Currently comprised of Svenja on vocals, Zahn and Raphi on the guitars, Tim on bass and Angelo on drums, Böllverk are on absolute fire in Heading For The Crown, with the classic artwork by Bastian Kraus and the sharp recording, mixing and mastering by Rolf Munkes at Empire Studios giving an even stronger vibe to the entire album, inspiring us all to head into the battlefield together with the band in the name of our beloved old school Heavy Metal.

The incendiary guitars by Zahn and Raphi kick off the pure, unfiltered Heavy Metal tune Ask The Angel, Listen To The Devil, an awesome way to start the album with the galloping drums by Angelo walking hand in hand with the 80’s-inspired vocals by Svenja, and more of their fusion of the classic music played by Iron Maiden, Accept, Judas Priest and Warlock is offered to us all in Let’s Ride Till Dawn, with the band’s guitar duo dictating the rhythm with their spot-on riffs and solos. Good Morning Rock’n’Roll is one of those “breakfast songs” highly recommended for all metalheads worldwide, bringing forward a beautiful hybrid of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock where Svenja’s piercing vocals are complemented by the raspy, Motörhead-infused roars by Zahn; whereas the title-track Heading For The Crown is an in-your-face, straightforward metal extravaganza led by the crushing drums by Angelo, supported by the rumbling bass by Tim.

Zahn’s evil roars boost the high-pitched screams by Svenja in The 7th No (IS A KO), another Hard Rock feast where the sound of the guitars will slash your ears mercilessly, and it’s time to bang our heads nonstop together with Böllverk in Master Of Thunder, another sharp, no shenanigans creation by the quintet showcasing a heavy and melodic kitchen by Tim and Angelo. Then venturing through the realms of Southern and Stoner Metal the band offers us all Live Fast, with Zahn taking the lead on vocals. It’s a good song, but it lacks the epicness of the rest of the album, though. Zahn keeps screaming in Next Level Of Service while Svenja fires her trademark Doro-inspired vocals lines, all spiced up by another round of their flammable riffs and thunderous bass lines, and last but not least, we’re treated to more of their rumbling Heavy Metal in the form of Someday We Will Die, clearly inspired by the classics from the NWOBHM and, therefore, ending the album on a thrilling note.

You can get to know more about Böllverk by following those Teutonic metallers on Facebook and on Instagram, staying up to date with all of their news, tour dates, plans for the future and so on, and you can also send them your feedback about their music as I’m sure the entire band would love to hear from you. In addition, in order to show your support and appreciation for ass-kicking underground German metal you should definitely purchase a copy of Heading For The Crown from the band’s own BandCamp page, as well as stream the album in its entirety on Spotify. Böllverk didn’t need to reinvent the wheel with Heading For The Crown to sound awesome, showing how powerful Heavy Metal still is and, of course, not only pointing to a bright future ahead of the band, but also providing us metalheads with one more excellent reason for keep banging our heads until the very end.

Best moments of the album: Ask The Angel, Listen To The Devil, Good Morning Rock’n’Roll and Someday We Will Die.

Worst moments of the album: Live Fast.

Released in 2022 Independent

Track listing
1. Ask The Angel, Listen To The Devil 6:05
2. Let’s Ride Till Dawn 3:27
3. Good Morning Rock’n’Roll 4:25
4. Heading For The Crown 4:49
5. The 7th No (IS A KO) 4:37
6. Master Of Thunder 6:26
7. Live Fast 4:20
8. Next Level Of Service 3:56
9. Someday We Will Die 5:50

Band members
Svenja – vocals
Zahn – guitars, vocals
Raphi – guitars
Tim – bass
Angelo – drums

Album Review – Infected Chaos / Dead Aesthetics (2021)

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 Behold the new opus by this ruthless Austrian-South German Death Metal outfit, by far their most intricate, obscure and dynamic album to date.

Holding a giant mirror right in front of the rotten, perverted part of humanity, the ruthless Austrian-South German Death Metal Commando Infected Chaos returns to action with the follow up to their 2015 debut effort The Wake Of Ares and their 2017 sophomore opus Killing Creator, the pulverizing Dead Aesthetics, combining the brute force of contemporary, complexly poured death lead with a touch of the North American new school. Mixed by the band’s own guitarist Matthias Mayr at DC-Records, mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound and displaying a Stygian cover artwork by Wildan Slam Artwork, Dead Aesthetics is highly recommended for admirers of bands the likes of God Dethroned, Hypocrisy and Kataklysm, showcasing all the fury, talent and passion for extreme music by Christian Fischer on vocals, Matthias Mayr and Martin Hartmann on the guitars, Ronny Lechleitner on bass and Matze Wilhelm on drums.

Ominous sound permeate the air before Infected Chaos smashes us all mercilessly in When Yonder Calls My Name, a dark and melodic tune led by the classic drums by Matze, also presenting hints of Hardcore to make things more frantic; and Chirstian roars like a gruesome creature form the abyss in Hollow Chars, accompanied by the rumbling bass by Ronny and the sick riffs and solos by Matthias and Martin, resulting in an infernal creation that lives up to the legacy of old school Death Metal. A brutal, slammin’ and utterly awesome Death Metal raid comes in the form of Eager Breed the Gods of Pestilence, with Christian once again vociferating the song’s dark words manically, and there’s no time to breathe as the quintet pulverizes our souls with the demented Gehenna, a lesson in savagery and harmony where their guitars sound piercing and caustic, supported by the metallic jabs blasted from Ronny’s bass. Then Matze and Ronny make the earth tremble in Iron Nights, an infernal Death Metal extravaganza bringing to our ears another round of Christian’s inhumane gnarls.

Are you tired already? Because Infected Chaos will keep hammering our damned bodies with their brutality in And Thus I Fell, where the band’s guitar duo does an excellent job with their sharp and strident riffage, followed by Death Metal Shock Prayer, a straightforward, in-your-face metal feast spearheaded by the thunderous beats by Matze, sounding as hellish as heavy as it can be. Pitch-Black Fever is simply demonic form start to finish, or in other words, a bestial depiction of classic Death Metal by the band with Matze once again stealing the spotlight with his vicious and fierce drumming; whereas bringing elements from classic Norwegian Black Metal added to their core sonority, in special to their riffs and blast beats, the band fires the fulminating Away, keeping the album at a high level of violence and obscurity. Following such demented tune, a beyond sinister intro quickly explodes into a lesson in violence by Infected Chaos titled Lethargia, with Matthias and Martin slashing our ears with their razor-edged riffs, and closing the album it’s time for five minutes of darkness and heaviness entitled Of Death and Birth, not as electrifying as the rest of the album but still presenting Christian’s otherworldly growls.

The infected world of Death Metal crafted by Infected Chaos in Dead Aesthetics can be better appreciated in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but as usual if you consider yourself a true supporter of the underground you should grab your copy of the album from their own BandCamp page, from Apple Music or from Amazon, and don’t forget to also follow them on Facebook and to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their sick creations. Dead Aesthetics is by far the band’s most intricate, obscure and dynamic album to date, showing not only the evolution in their musicianship and fury, but also that Austria, and of course the southern parts of Germany, are indeed an amazing source of musical brutality.

Best moments of the album: Hollow Chars, Eager Breed the Gods of Pestilence and Pitch-Black Fever.

Worst moments of the album: Of Death and Birth.

Released in 2021 Independent

Track listing
1. When Yonder Calls My Name 5:43
2. Hollow Chars 3:22
3. Eager Breed the Gods of Pestilence 4:04
4. Gehenna 4:28
5. Iron Nights 4:40
6. And Thus I Fell 4:52
7. Death Metal Shock Prayer 3:56
8. Pitch-Black Fever 3:36
9. Away 5:22
10. Lethargia 4:58
11. Of Death and Birth 5:20

Band members
Christian Fischer – vocals
Matthias Mayr – guitars
Martin Hartmann – guitars
Ronny Lechleitner – bass, backing vocals
Matze Wilhelm – drums

Album Review – Baxaxaxa / Devoted to HIM EP (2020)

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A cult German Black Metal horde returns after almost two decades with an infernal new EP hailing from the most rotten and neglected graveyards.

Forged in the darkest pits of Germany in the already ancient year of 1992, Bavaria’s own Black Metal cult horde Baxaxaxa is back from the underworld after almost two decades to keep burning the flame that coursed through them in the very early 90’s with a new EP entitled Devoted to HIM, offering the listener two original ghoulish apparitions lurking in the most rotten and neglected graveyards. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Lord Noctifer at Black Bunker Sounds and featuring a grim cover art by German tattoo artist Slawa Pavlyguine (Black Venom Ink.), Devoted to HIM is a middle-fingered assertion of Baxaxaxa’s ancient values, being recommended to diehard fans of Mortuary Drape, Root, Hungary’s Tormentor, early Samael and very early Mayhem, showcasing all the talent and devotion to darkness by vocalist Traumatic, guitarist Cryptic Tormentor, bassist Sulphur Irae, drummer Condemptor and keyboardist Antitron Desecratum W2J1L8.

And this unrelenting five-piece horde form hell begins their raw and dirty Black Metal attack with the old school Revelation in Sin, with Cryptic Tormentor’s piercing guitar lines exhaling darkness and fire, while Sulphur Irae and Condemptor bring a touch of Doom Metal to their already devilish sonority and Antitron Desecratum W2J1L8 adds sheer dementia to the overall result with his wicked keys, all spearheaded by Traumatic’s infernal gnarls and screams. Put differently, this is one of those songs tailored for haunting the souls of the lighthearted. Then after such demented onrush of extreme music, cryptic sounds permeate the air in the Stygian and sulfurous title-track Devoted to HIM, suddenly exploding into ass-kicking Black Metal infused with the speed and fury of Slayer and the rebelliousness of classic Punk Rock. Moreover, all band members are on absolute fire from start to finish, in special Cryptic Tormentor armed with his hellish axe, and Condemptor, who doesn’t stop hammering his drums not even for a single second, providing Traumatic all he needs to blast his demented growls.

This short but utterly infernal display of the rawest form of Black Metal imaginable is available for a full listen on YouTube, but of course if you consider yourself a true servant of darkness and evil you should follow such insane Teutonic horde on Facebook and, above all, purchase your copy of Devoted to HIM from the band’s own BandCamp page, or from the Iron Bonehead Productions’ BandCamp page or webstore (in black or white vinyl). The demonic and ruthless Black Metal played by Baxaxaxa (which by the way was a name selected before the band’s first rehearsal and refers to a demon found in a now-lost-and-forgotten book) might not be an easy-listen at first for the regular metal fan, but you know what? That’s exactly how their music is supposed to be,  staying true to their roots and, obviously, forever and ever devoted to HIM.

Best moments of the album: Devoted to HIM.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Iron Bonehead

Track listing
1. Revelation in Sin 6:43
2. Devoted to HIM 4:05

Band members
Traumatic – vocals
Cryptic Tormentor – guitar
Sulphur Irae – bass
Condemptor – drums
Antitron Desecratum W2J1L8 – keyboards

Album Review – Super Satan / Menetekel (2020)

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An incendiary album of German Black Metal overflowing blast beats, pushing sounds and aggressive riffs that will let us all slide down the abyss piece by piece.

With a variety of beautiful, dreamy tracks and silence shattering sounds split into ten hypnotic tracks with a total playing time of over 57 minutes, Menetekel, the debut full-length opus by an infernal Kaufbeuren, Germany-based Black Metal duo comprised of vocalist Stefan Bauer (Disgusting Perversion) and guitarist Julian Gruber (Disgusting Perversion, Pestilent Reign, Running Death, Taste of Desolation) that goes by the curious name of Super Satan, brings to our ears a fast, hard-riffing and overall unconventional style of Black Metal, being highly recommended for fans of bands like Der Weg einer Freiheit and Der Rote Milan. Supported by the heavy kitchen of Nikita Kamprad (Der Weg einer Freiheit, Illusion of Strength) on bass, who also produced the album, and Sebastian Unić (Crimson Death, Pestilent Reign, Kâhld, Hysterie) on drums, Super Satan take no prisoners in Menetekel, with their driving blast beats, pushing sounds and aggressive riffs letting the audience slide down the abyss piece by piece and leading them through the end of all days, all of course sung in their mother tongue German.

Get ready to be dragged down to the scorching pits of the underworld in the phantasmagorical intro Menetekel, or “warning sign” in English, setting the stage for Super Satan to crush our souls in Zwiespalt (“conflict”), with Julian extracting sheer obscurity from his wicked guitar while guest Sebastian delivers traditional blast beats, resulting in a feast of classic and modern Black Metal spearheaded by the demonic roars by Stefan. Then we have another brutal round of Black Metal the likes of Marduk and Immortal in Einklang (“unison”), sounding absolutely demonic and pulverizing from start to finish, with Sebastian going berserk once again on drums while Nikita hammers his bass furiously, whereas the strident, piercing riffs by Julian are the main ingredient in the infernal Mondglanz (“moonlight”), bringing some Hardcore and Grindcore nuances to their already vicious sonority and, therefore, being perfect for slamming into the pit while also presenting groovier and heavier moments.

Dämmerung (“dusk”) is an Atmospheric Black Metal extravaganza led by the electrifying guitar lines by Julian while Stefan gnarls in a dark and anguished manner, remaining sluggish, bleak and melancholic throughout its five minutes of sheer obscurity, and following such venomous tune we’re treated to Wolkenbruch (“downpour”) and its almost 10 minutes of a fantastic hybrid between old school Black Metal with contemporary Melodic Black Metal. Furthermore, Sebastian sounds even more boisterous on drums while very rhythmic at the same time, with Stefan’s deep roars bringing endless hatred and fear to the overall result. Then cryptic sounds and tones permeate the air in Auferstehung (“resurrection”), morphing into a furious explosion of Black Metal infused with Symphonic Black Metal nuances with Sebastian once again adding his share of dementia to the music, while Stefan keeps barking and screaming manically.

Hammering their flammable instruments nonstop, the band pierces our ears and minds with the scorching Weltenbrand (“world fire”), also sounding and feeling atmospheric and epic. In addition to that, you can sense some resemblance to the most vicious creations from Neue Deutsche Härte, while Julian sounds truly infernal with his dark riffing. After such high level of obscurity, it’s time for a hurricane of modern-day Black Metal blasted by Super Satan in Ritual, showcasing razor-edged guitars, fulminating drums and the always visceral gnarls by Stefan, while Nikita and Sebastian bring thunder to the sonority with their sonic weapons. Lastly, blending the imposing sounds by bands like Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir and Emperor, the band fills our ears with hatred and evil in the closing tune Ur, where those German metallers display all their dexterity and passion for the underworld for over eight minutes.

The creativity and darkness flowing from German Black Metal always amazes me, and with Super Satan it couldn’t have been any different than that. Those two talented musicians and their henchmen simply nailed it already with their debut release, which is by the way available for a full listen on YouTube and on Spotify, bringing forth a very cohesive, austere and incendiary fusion of the most diverse styles of Black Metal. Hence, don’t forget to give them a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, and to purchase your copy of such excellent album from their own BandCamp page or from the Thanatoskult’s BandCamp page, as well as from Apple Music or from Amazon. As already mentioned, Menetekel is the perfect soundtrack to the end of everything, proving once again why Black Metal made in Germany is and will always be one of the most interesting and breathtaking subgenres of extreme music.

Best moments of the album: Einklang, Wolkenbruch and Ritual.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Thanatoskult

Track listing
1. Menetekel 1:15
2. Zwiespalt 6:02
3. Einklang 3:49
4. Mondglanz 3:00
5. Dämmerung 5:00
6. Wolkenbruch 9:38
7. Auferstehung 5:45
8. Weltenbrand 7:17
9. Ritual 6:57
10. Ur 8:32

Band members
Stefan Bauer – vocals
Julian Gruber – guitars

Guest musicians
Nikita Kamprad – bass (session)
Sebastian Unić – drums (session)

Album Review – Skognatt / Autumn Skies EP (2020)

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Let your soul be embraced by 17 minutes of classy and piercing Atmospheric Black Metal made in Germany, perfectly representing what DIY is all about.

Two years after the release of his debut full-length opus Ancient Wisdom, Augsburg, Germany-based Atmospheric Black Metal/Dark Ambient one-man army Skognatt returns in full force with another solid EP entitled Autumn Skies, the third EP in the up-and-coming career of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Danijel Zambo after Stargazer and Ancient Wisdom, released in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Once again featuring guest musician Gerileme, from renowned underground acts such as Asche der Welten, Burial in the Woods and Osteon, who played and engineered all drums in the EP, Autumn Skies is an entertaining and detailed lesson in DIY, as Danijel not only wrote all music and lyrics in the album, but he was also responsible for all recording, mixing, mastering and layout aspects of it, showcasing all his talent as the Teutonic metaller he is.

Sounding as atmospheric as all of his previous creations, a sense of hopelessness and solitude permeates the air in Shadowlands, quickly exploding into modern-day Atmospheric Black Metal were Danijel slashes his guitar strings in great fashion while at the same time roaring and gnarling like a beast, accompanied by the classic Black Metal blast beats by Gerileme and also presenting acoustic, cryptic passages that will crawl deep inside your skin. Then we have Black Rain, even more atmospheric and melancholic with Danijel’s acoustic guitars bringing a touch of finesse to his scorching musicality, living up to the legacy of such distinct genre while our one-man army fires sheer rage and despair through his growls. And last but not least, the title-track Autumn Skies begins in a truly obscure and melodic manner, evolving into a multi-layered Atmospheric Black Metal feast where Danijel’s roars get deeper and darker than usual while Gerileme dictates the rhythm with his Doom Metal-inspired riffs, not to mention how darkly Danijel declaims the spoken words taken from a poem by John Keats, an English Romantic poet who was one of the main figures of the second generation of Romantic poets along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Moreover, the way the song ends is absolutely phantasmagorical, putting an enfolding finale to Autumn Skies.

You can take a full and detailed listen to Autumn Skies on YouTube and also follow Danijel Zambo and his Skognatt on Facebook and on Instagram, but of course in order to truly support underground musicians like Danijel you should definitely purchase your copy of the EP directly from his official BandCamp page. In summary, Autumn Skies is not only a 17-minute album of Atmospheric Black Metal made in Germany, but a fresh and vibrant statement by Danijel to the entire world reminding everyone that Skognatt is alive and kicking, ready to represent true independent metal under any circumstances and showing us all Atmospheric Black Metal is still a driving force of the underground with a lot of fuel to burn. In addition to that, it’s beyond clear how the music by Danijel is evolving album after album, and I personally can’t wait to see what’s next in his promising career.

Best moments of the album: Shadowlands.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Shadowlands 7:31
2. Black Rain 3:51
3. Autumn Skies 5:51

Band members
Danijel Zambo – vocals, all instruments

Guest musician
Gerileme – drums

Album Review – Waldgeflüster / Mondscheinsonaten (2019)

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The perfect soundtrack for those crystalline winter, woodland walks, courtesy of a Bavarian heathen horde armed with their Folk-drenched Black Metal.

There’s nowhere like Germany in winter time. The forests, the castles, the markets and the “gluhwein” (a type of mulled wine from German-speaking countries made from red wine with cinnamon and other herbs and spices), all offer solace for the wandering winter soul, as well as the music as you’ll be able to enjoy in Mondscheinsonaten, the brand new opus by Munich, Bavaria-based Black/Folk Metal horde Waldgeflüster. Both the name of the band (German for “forest whisperings”) and the album name (which translates as “moonlight sonatas”) already give you a very good idea of how powerful their new Folk-drenched Black Metal eyries are, melting the coldest of hearts, but it’s after hitting playing and immersing yourself in their music that you’ll finally understand what Bavarian heathen music is all about.

Formed in 2005 as a one-man project by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Winterherz (whose full name is Jan van Berlekom), Waldgeflüster evolved into a full-bodied band in 2014 when guitarists Dominik Frank and Markus Frey, bassist Arvagr and drummer Thomas Birkmaier joined Winterherz in his quest for metal music for good, after having played with him either as studio or live musicians in previous albums and concerts. Building strongly on the band’s heathen foundations, melding clean and harsh vocals seamlessly and integrating folk instrumentation sparsely enough to augment (but never over-embellish the exceptional blackened metal grounding), Mondscheinsonaten is perfectly pitched to fuel those crystalline winter, woodland walks with its immensely infectious melodies and haunting refrains, with the entire band sounding extremely crisp, mature and cohesive throughout the album’s over 60 minutes of stylish and enfolding music.

Embraced by the sound of the howling wind, the melancholic, acoustic Einleitung (“introduction”) warms up our hearts for the dense and thrilling Der Steppenwolf (“the steppenwolf”), with Winterherz growling deeply while Domink and Markus extract sheer darkness from their guitars. In other words, this is a journey through the realms of Atmospheric Black Metal and Blackened Folk Metal where the music keeps growing in intensity as time goes by, while Thomas, armed with his classic blast beats, makes sure not a single space is left empty. Then get ready for over twelve minutes of a flawless fusion of folk and extreme music entitled Gripfelstürme (“summit storm”), where the band’s guitar duo once again hypnotizes us with their scorching riffs and with Winterherz being on fire with both his demonic gnarls and his obscure clean vocals, also showcasing ethereal passages and backing vocals that add a touch of finesse to the overall result.  And Waldgeflüster continue to invade our minds and captivate our senses with the atmospheric Rotgoldene Novemberwälder (“red golden November forests”), uniting the most visceral elements from classic Black Metal with the melancholy of Atmospheric Black Metal, with strident guitar lines, intricate beats and pitch black darkness flowing nonstop from this bitterly cold aria.

In Und der Wind… (“and the wind…”), a serene intro explodes into sheer aggression and rage in the form of old school Black Metal with Thomas sounding bestial on drums while Arvagr delivers thunder through his bass lines. Moreover, your soul will certainly get lost throughout the song’s ten detailed and dense minutes; whereas in Von Winterwäldern und Mondscheinsonaten (“from winter forests and moonshine nights”) we’re treated to more flammable sounds flowing from all instruments, in special from Dominik’s and Markus’ guitars, with Winterherz roaring with all his strength while the music brings hints of Progressive Black Metal to make things even more entertaining. Then closing the regular version of the album we have the delicate Staub in der Lunge (“dust in the lungs”), beginning in the most serene way possible with its clean vocals and acoustic guitars dictating the rhythm before the entire band comes ripping one last time with their refined Black Metal sonority. In addition, Dominik and Markus once again steal the spotlight with their piercing guitar lines for our total delight. And if you acquire the black/grey double vinyl version of the album, you’ll also get the acoustic version for Der Steppenwolf as a bonus track, a beautiful and very delicate alternate rendering of one of the best songs of the album.

In case you’re already prepared to get lost in the heathen lands of Bavaria together with Waldgeflüster, you can enjoy Mondscheinsonaten in full  on YouTube and on Spotify, and purchase your copy of the album from the band’s own BandCamp page or from the Nordvis Produktion’s official webstore (as well as from several other locations by clicking HERE). In a nutshell, as aforementioned the “moonlight sonatas” by this talented horde of musicians hailing from the stunning Bavaria are the perfect soundtrack for a cold and pensive winter walk, proving once again Folkened Black Metal is more than just a subgenre of extreme music, but an intrinsic part of the lifestyle and culture of the coldest parts of earth.

Best moments of the album: Der Steppenwolf and Gripfelstürme.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2019 Nordvis Produktion

Track listing
1. Einleitung 3:08
2. Der Steppenwolf 7:51
3. Gripfelstürme 12:21
4. Rotgoldene Novemberwälder 6:28
5. Und der Wind… 10:52
6. Von Winterwäldern und Mondscheinsonaten 9:51
7. Staub in der Lunge 5:48

Black/Grey Double Vinyl bonus track
8. Der Steppenwolf (Acoustic version) 7:57

Band members
Winterherz – vocals, mandolin, keyboards
Dominik Frank – guitars, backing vocals
Markus Frey – guitars
Arvagr – bass, backing vocals
Thomas Birkmaier – drums

Guest musician
Johannes Schermaul – cello

Album Review – Suffering Souls / In Synergy Obscene (2019)

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After ten long years, Lord Esgaroth returns with a brand new album presenting a somber and satanic identity which will appeal to all of those who respect and love the Black Metal scene from the 90’s.

Forged in 1994 in the fires of Kümmersbruck, a municipality in the Amberg-Sulzbach district, in Bavaria, Germany under the name Dismal by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Tobias “Lord Esgaroth” Micko, Symphonic Black Metal one-man army Suffering Souls is ready to darken our hearts and minds once again with his epic and stylish extreme music found in his fourth full-length opus, entitled In Synergy Obscene, coming out exactly 10 years after the release of its predecessor Sadistic Goat Complex as if time had not stopped, with all new tracks following the path of the previous album, almost unchanged from the basic principle.

On In Synergy Obscene, Lord Esgaroth presents a somber and satanic identity which will appeal to all of those who respect and love the Black Metal scene from the 90’s, sounding powerful and imposing thanks to the refined sound of all classic instruments, lead guitars and clean vocal passages, creating a new and interesting atmosphere never before seen in any of the works by Suffering Souls. Also feeling a bit more mature than its previous album, In Synergy Obscene brings forward a neat and unique musicality without sounding cheesy or repetitive, showcasing all of Lord Esgaroth’s abilities as a composer, musician and as a loyal servant to the most obscure side of Extreme Metal.

Idolised And Vilified, a melancholic, romantic and cinematic intro the likes of Cradle Of Filth, kicks off the album by setting the tone for the imposing title-track In Synergy Obscene, crushing our senses mercilessly with Lord Esgaroth’s demonic gnarls and his background orchestrations matching perfectly with his infernal Black Metal riffs and solos; and more epicness mixed with his flammable Black Metal hits us in the face in Inheritance Of Irony, where not a single space is left empty, with its guitars, keys and drums invading your senses in a full-bodied feast of symphonic sounds, ending with a long, melodic and extremely beautiful guitar solo for our total delight. That vile start is followed by In Death Reborn, perhaps the least Black Metal of all songs despite Lord Esgaroth’s old school growls and gnarls, sounding very modern and distinct from the rest of the album while its backing vocals feel a bit unstable.

Back to a more symphonic and violent mode, Lord Esgaroth fires a well-balanced fusion of classic Black Metal with melodic and modern nuances titled As The Truth Unfolds, living up to the legacy of bands like Cradle Of Fitlh and Dimmu Borgir and displaying an amazing job done on drums, being intricate and furious at the same time. Then we have The True Endless, another classic composition by Suffering Souls presenting a huge amount of epicness and delicacy coming from the keyboards while its guitars keep slashing our senses, maintaining the album’s ambience very impactful and electric before the most symphonic, melodic and introspective of all songs, The Cynic God, invites us to dance together with Lord Esgaroth, sounding at times like a fantasy movie score. The second to last breath of Symphonic Black Metal by Suffering Souls comes in the form of All You Little Devils, where Lord Esgaroth’s vocals get very close to what Shagrath does with Dimmu Borgir, elevating the song’s taste and potency considerably, whereas the closing hymn Unseen Phenomenon is a feast of blackened, melodic and symphonic sounds and tones led by Lord Esgaroth’s harsh vociferations and blast beats, with its piano and keys building a climatic ending for the album.

It might have taken 10 years for Tobias Micko to morph into his alter-ego Lord Esgaroth again and bring his Suffering Souls back from the underworld, but based on the high quality of the music found in In Synergy Obscene, which you can listen in full on Spotify and purchase from the Schwarzdorn Production’s BandCamp or webstore, from the Season of Mist webstore or from iTunes, the wait was definitely worth it. With that said, I’m sure we’ll start seeing Lord Esgaroth and Suffering Souls a lot more often than only every decade, spreading his darkness upon us and carrying the flag of Symphonic Black Metal high for years to come.

Best moments of the album: Inheritance Of Irony, As The Truth Unfolds and All You Little Devils.

Worst moments of the album: In Death Reborn.

Released in 2019 Schwarzdorn Production

Track listing
1. Idolised And Vilified 2:29
2. In Synergy Obscene 5:30
3. Inheritance Of Irony 9:23
4. In Death Reborn 5:13
5. As The Truth Unfolds 6:28
6. The True Endless 5:16
7. The Cynic God 6:28
8. All You Little Devils 4:49
9. Unseen Phenomenon 6:43

Band members
Tobias “Lord Esgaroth” Micko – vocals, guitars, strings, choirs, drums, programming