Dutch act Dystopia will celebrate its twentieth anniversary next year; okay, there used to be a hiatus somewhere during their first years, yet this band recorded their first demonstrational material during the start of the second half of this century’s first decay, eh, I mean decade (got it?). Initially, this outfit was created as a rather Thrash-oriented alternative for Pulverised.
Finally, after four and a half years…
I will keep my introduction short and concise, and I’d like to refer to one of the other reviews I did in the past for Ars Veneficium, one of the leading Belgian bands within the current Black Metal scene. Links: see below.
Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, U.S. of A., Kommandant are active for almost two decades (founded in 2004 or so). Throughout the years, they recorded and released several Ep’s and full-lengths (this review deals with their fifth official full-length album), as well as more than one hand full of (often stunning) splits (with the likes of e.g. Missouri’s Fever, Animus Mortis or Absentia Lunae). This introduction in short…
The history of Stuttgart, Germany-based act Beyond Helvete goes back to the second half of the first decade of this century. At that moment, this project was the main outfit by Sven ‘Natrgaard’ Krause and could be considered a renewed direction on top of his (now defunct) outlets Nachtfrost and Zwenz. After some mini and full-length recordings, things went silent. An immense emptiness remained…
First, to avoid any consternation or confusion: ½ Southern North needs to be pronounced as ‘half southern north’. This said…
When Osmose Productions (not a small player within the scene) offered us the album I - The Serpent at the very end of 2016, the world could make acquaintance with a new Dutch / Italian project, Liber Null. Unfortunately, this project, with members of e.g. Frostmoon Eclipse, faded away for a while, and nothing spectacular did happen anymore.
Introduction: after a very long time of abyssal emptiness and silentium, Muert finally come back with a fourth full-length album; the first new studio release after 2017’s Ye Canariae Abezan (released via the mighty and quite ‘old’ Dutch Extreme Metal label Hammerheart Records).
Despite having some Gotmoor members in its ranks, it would be too easy (and incorrect) to consider Darkest Mind as a side-project of aforementioned top-act. The story started in 2014 or so, when Yuri ‘Y’ started this outfit as a solo-expression of the ideas he had. Actually, he wasn’t part of Gotmoor’s line-up yet, back then, which proves my former statement (about the ‘side-project’-thing).
When it comes to the name ‘Gurthang’ in terms of Tolkien worship, I won’t go too deep into the matter this time. ‘Gurthang’ was a legendary sword owned by Túrin Turambar, hero and protagonist in a tragic story – but even-though I am a dedicated Tolkien-fan, this review does not deal with the great books of that writer.
Sons Of A Wanted Man is an act from Beringen, which is a city in Limburg, Belgium, formerly known from its coalmine sites. The band started five years and something ago, when some experienced musicians from different anti-commercial acts joined forces to bring something that makes Belgium great again: Post / Sludge Heaviness with (hairy) balls! They recorded and released some demonstrational stuff throughout the years, and did gain an impressive (local) live status, but now things will truly start, caused by Kenoma.
