Ivan Tibos.

Since a couple of years, Cold Raw Records from the United Kingdom have become one of the most important Black Metal underground labels from West-European soil. Just click on the label’s name above to read the (many?) reviews undersigned did for them as from December 2014. And there’s more to come, but first I’ll focus on a split called Triumph Of Death (damn, haven’t I heard of this title before???)… It comes in a very limited hand-numbered edition of 120 copies only.

Unmercenaries are a collaborative of two members from Who Dies In Siberian Slush (amongst others, but I do refer to this one specifically, for I recently wrote a review for their split with My Shameful; see update December 24^th 2015), and a member from My Shameful (amongst others, but I do refer to this one specifically, for I recently wrote a review for their split with Who Dies In Siberian Slush; see update December 24^th 2015).

It’s always a sardonic pleasure to listen to a (new) album on Lower Silesian Stronghold. With this sixth album by Poland’s Demonic Slaughter it’s no difference. This time in co-operation with French label Hass Weg Productions, Lower Silesian Stronghold prove once more that they are able to find qualitative bands (and releases) that are able to please a selected yet superior audience, and able to irritate the stupid, ignorant masses on our filthy globe.

Enthroned Darkness are quite an active outfit by Simone ‘Nex Umbra Domini’ Ghizzinardi, whom you might know from for example Absum, Suspiria Profundis, Aevum, Nebbia and many more. Under the Enthroned Darkness-moniker, Simone returns with a third full length studio album, which he did record during Winter 2014-2015 at his Dark Sound Studios.

Okay, the Finnish band Sad Parade might surely not hit the very same status of acts like, let’s say, Sisters Of Mercy, Christian Death or Nine Inch Nails, but for sure they are of a comparable level of craftsmanship. During the nineties, they were quite influential, especially in their home country, with a couple of attractive EP’s going around. At the very beginning of this new century, the band ceased activities, but the rumour goes that Aku-Tuomas Mattila has plans to reform this band???

Actually Missa Mortvm were formed almost five years ago, but Et Lux Perpetua Luceat Est isn’t but this Chilean band’s first official release. The album was initially released independently the digital way in very, very, very early 2015, and then pressed on CD in order to get released via the unholy trinity Satanath Records, Sphera Noctis Records and Darzamadicus Records (a co-operation that appeared before in other constellations).

One of the many releases that did came out on Russia’s Satanath Records in 2015, and since I promised label owner (and friend) Aleksey to give my attention to all of them, is Ecstasy, the third full length of Polish act Manipulation. This band was formed at the very beginning of this millennium, but after the recording (+ release) of their debut, they did split up. Eventually, the band reformed, and some more releases did follow, but their ‘success’ remained somewhat local.

About a year and a half ago I got in touch with Vordak from France. This guy… no, search for yourself; I did have quite some deeply interesting discussions with him, and he introduced me to some forums he was involved with, but you must find it out yourself.

Efferat are a young act from the East of the States (Ohio and Philadelphia), consisting of the brothers David and Nick Brake (they took care of mix and mastering too for this release), and drummer Chris Drossis. Together with some other session musicians, they recorded this strange material in order to have it released on CD in early spring 2015. Burn Ward Records now bring out this stuff on cassette, though being extremely limited, i.e.

Nahum are an act from the Czech Republic, formed in 2004, and debuting one year later with the self-released demo Unhuman. Then things went silent, and it wasn’t until 2012 that the band returned with their debut full length (called The Gates Are Open), once again independently released in a rather limited edition. Then things turned into silence for another three years and a half, but now the band returns with the sophomore full length studio album, And The Chaos Has Begun, released under licence of Musick Attack.