Consouling Sounds are pretty active lately, with quite some interesting new releases on their (in mean time fabulous) roster. The label never eschewed to step away from conformity, and with this two-way split (which is part of a picture disc series) they do strengthen their prominent position within the worldwide Sludge / Post-Metal scene (once again). But this release needs to be considered as a collaboration in between three artists: two bands, i.e.
Satarial are a Russian project by Lord Seth, who founded this project in 1993 (permanently joined by Angelika ‘Angel Bust’). Throughout the years he recorded five full lengths, yet since the last one, 2006’s LateXXX, Satarial seemed to fade away in oblivion.
Despite the Finnish album-titles, Lebensnacht hail not from the Land of a Thousand Lakes, but they are a project from Germany. Lebensnacht were formed in 2008 by Robert Brockmann, who recently joined Sado Sathanas’ line-up by the way, and who is one of the guys behind NordanVindar / Tann Im Nebel too.
The Aachen, Germany-based band Ius Talionis is very young, but they immediately impress the Dark Underworld with their demo Eleutheromania. The quartet (guitar player Viator Noctis, bass player Nár, vocalist Koshmar and drummer Ryu) started playing together under this moniker as from October 2013, but it sounds as if they used to perform as a team for quite some time, for this demonstrational recording sounds extremely adult and cohesive.
Besides the release of a demo (in 2008), the EP Heartworm is the sole official recording by Italian five-piece Dementia Senex (line-up: bass player Federico Cucchi, drummer Mattia Bagnolini, guitarists Filippo Merloni and Marco Righetti, and singer Cristian Franchini).
Craang are a Greek trio (guitarist / vocalist Manos, bass player Mike and drummer Nick) that release their debut themselves on CD. In early 2015 the material will be printed on vinyl too via the German label Pink Tank, which this band recently signed to. The result is a four-tracker, which has a total running time of more than forty minutes. Indeed, To The Estimated Size Of The Universe consists of very lengthy songs that last in between eight and fifteen minutes.
Khost are a very young project from Birmingham, UK, formed in 2013 by Andy Swan (of Iroha / Final / Atrocity Exhibition-fame).
It’s not the first time I write a review for a band or project from the Middle-East, and then I’m thinking about countries like the United Arab Emirates (Nervecell), Jordan (Relics Of Martyrs), Saudi-Arab (Al-Namrood) or Iran (Margg, Nathorg, Azooma), but this is my first acquaintance with an act from Syria.
Poland’s Genital Putrefaction are a Death Metal band that existed for a couple of years during the era 1989-1992. They recorded three demos (FYI: Chinese (!) label BrutalReign Productions compiled them on CD in 2013 with The Unholy Decade as working title), but then they split up. However, in 2009 the band was reformed, and in 2012 they released their debut full length, Stworzony Przez Bogów. It was recorded and mixed at the Berlin-based GL Studio and produced by Lech Glogowski in 2010.
Skrømt are a pretty young band (formed in 2011), originally acting as a trio, and now being a quartet. In the beginning Skrømt were meant to be a hobby-project to the members’ other bands (like Lotus, Slug Syndicate or Fatal Frequency). Very recently they recorded their first album, which was originally meant to be a demonstrational recording.
