I will not spend too much time in an introduction this time, for I hope this band will come up with a full length soon; and then I will give a more profound and appropriate description of this band’s history, discography and biography. But I cannot but mention that Malakhim consists of members of e.g. Naglfar and Sanity Of Impiety. The five-piece was formed in 2016, and they had a first demo in 2017.
Hailing initially from the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, Blot & Bod are a trio that are part of the Korpsånd community, heavily supported by the label Fallow Field (and including loud-sound armies like Gabestok, Ærekær, Hollow Hand, War Is Aer, Afkald and many more sweet Danish combos…).
A new band from the Indian city of Kolkata (Calcutta) is Aparthiva Raktadhara, which means something like ‘unhealthy bloodstream’. The trio, being V. Hydra (shamanic hammer-trance), Takshaka (sacred string vibrations) and Nachash (assorted mantras), recently recorded some songs, collected as Agyat Ishvar (‘unknown god’).
Hailing from Belarus, Pa Vesh En are a mysterious project that started quite recently. After two demo tapes, which were released on Germany’s finest Iron Bonehead Productions, this one-man army now offers a first 7”EP on vinyl. A Ghost comes with two new pieces (both clocking about seven minutes each), which are available as well digitally.
This is my first acquaintance with Disembowel, but that’s not that crazy for this band will come up with their first full length right now. The trio started terrorizing the world of Sonic Sadism in 2012, and in Summer 2014 they did release a first EP independently. That EP, called Act Of Invocation, was re-released in 2017 by Iron Bonehead Productions, apparently, but I’ve seemed to miss it somehow.
One of the first Black Metal formations from New Zealand was (is) Vassafor, a band that has a limited curriculum vitae during the nineties. At the very end of last century, they broke up, but in 2004 Phil Kusabs decided to resurrect his main project. The guy, FYI, is involved with quite some other bands and projects too, but this review deals with higher aforementioned Vassafor, so I’ll stick to this one.
Death Karma are a duo that were formed in Slovakia in 2012, but currently they reside in the Czech Republic. Both members, also involved with e.g.
Hailing from New Zealand, and with current and former members of e.g. The House Of Capricorn, Abystic Ritual and Ulcerate, Creeping return with their third full length, after almost five years of silence. Revenant gets released on both vinyl via Iron Bonehead Productions (they will release the stuff as well the digital way) and on compact disc via Daemon Worship Productions.
After one full album and several split-contributions, Volahn, one of the many projects by Eduardo Ramirez, returns with a second full studio album, called Aq’ab’al. This six-tracker ‘symbolizes the earthly dark spaces & those within our own consciousness’. The title stands for the place of rebirth and transformation, a re-generating power, based on the Mayan mythology and beliefs, a returning source of inspiration in many of Eduardo’s projects.
This split-album, Void Asceticism, joins two great acts in order to illustrate ‘moral collapse, soul sacrifice, eternal oblivion’. I know, it makes me happy too…
The 12” vinyl stuff was released in an edition of 500 copies on ‘regular’ black vinyl (140g, you know), and each band present three tracks, clocking the whole experience to half an hour.
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