Lower Silesian Stronghold

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust… Hail to purification, death to the inferior spawn of terrorist prophets!

It took some time, it has been too long, way too long, but finally, after more than two years, LycanthropY return with a new epos, called A.V.R.E.I.L. A.V.R.E.I.L. stands for ‘anno volcanii, rex efferorum, imperium lucis’, and means something like ‘year of the volcano, king of savages, empire of the light’.

Hailing from Belarus, Gnieu (which means ‘anger’ in their mother tongue) were formed about a decade ago. Throughout ten years of existence, the project (mainly a duo, consisting of Igar and Vietraslau) recorded two hands full of releases, amongst which some splits (with e.g. the sweeties of Lascowiec or Canadian two-man army Warforest), some EP’s and demos, and three full length albums: Kola Spradviecznaje (2008), U Vihurah Uśviedamleńnja Byćcja (2009) and Dein (2012).

During the first half of the nineties, I did know a Polish band with the name Pagan Temple. I had not heard of them anymore since then, and investigation turned out to define their dissolution in 1996 after just over three years of existence. Anyway, when my dearest brother-in-pure-law K. did send me the album The Warriors Of Black Circles by a Polish band called Pagan Temple, I couldn’t imagine that it would deal with the very same band.

He might not be that well-known, at least outside his home country, but young Polish (now located in the UK?) multi-instrumentalist Kolan performs under several monikers. He’s the guy behind projects such as Antisemitex, Defenders Of Europe, Severe Storm or Bustum (solo or as instrumentalist), and quite recently he also started an outfit under the name Odour Of Death.

First this: Aux Portes De La Mort (‘at the gates of death’) was released on February 12th 2010, but the scroll-down menu does not go back that far. But once again: 2010!

Quite soon after the full length Tysiacletnie Kajdany, which was this band’s fourth full length in a decade and a half of existence, Mystherium return with a new EP, Zwycięstwo. It’s a five-tracker that lasts for twenty-three minutes. The EP comes in a truly beautifully artistic CD-edition via Lower Silesian Stronghold, and there’s a (limited) tape-edition too (Werewolf Promotion). The material was mixed and mastered by Wojciech Cenajek at the Metal Sound Studio.

You know (or you do not – what do I care anyway) that I have never disliked writing a review for older stuff. I do it with pleasure 1) to be grateful and to pay tribute to the band or label that send me that older stuff, and 2) when I think that this material is worth deserving some (of mine) additional support and promotion whatsoever. Quite the same goes for this review. It deals with the hateful French horde DUX and their peaceful recording Vintras.

The Polish horde Aryman was formed at the very beginning of this century, but initially it was a band without name, without an aim (besides playing Black Metal!), without any official and professional recording or release. I guess it was in 2006 when main members Nefarius and Non Serviam decided to baptise their sonic brainchild as Aryman.

I knew a Texas-based Thrash band called Pendulum (it was a long time ago), and it was the moniker as well in the earliest years for Carpathian Full Moon, but this review deals with a French act, nowadays coming from the city of Nantes, in the West of France, at the border of the Loire river (a region known for some highly agreeable Muscadet wines, but that’s irrelevant right here).