Soul Grip are a new formation from the city of Ghent (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium). They wrote and created some songs that eventually were recorded at the end of December 2014 at the famous Hearse Studio with Lander Cluyse (think Leng Tch’e, Amenra, Wiegedood, Hessian a.o.).
Both Arbre and Brouillard are grandiose French acts, which I praised intensively with their former Distant Voices-releases. Also the label itself is quite unique, which you can find back in each of the reviews I did for them in the past (besides both bands on this split: also Misery, Celestial Dirge and Scars From A Dead Room passed the revue; check them out on the site!).
Chilean power-combo Atomicide return with their second full length, a year and a half after the former one, Spreading The Cult Of Death. In more than a decade of existence, they gained quite some ‘popularity’ in their home country, and the intervention of Iron Bonehead Productions will promote this band’s name on an international scale for sure.
Mainly based in Poland, Doombringer are, for a change, not another high-tech Modern Death / Blast Metal act à la Vader, Hate or Behemoth. No, this is one of these bands that go far away from the mainstream, delving deeper into spheres of morbidity, grimness and bleakness.
Onkel Hryum are a side-project of Grobut Neerg members Yuri and Anton, and known from their 2013-EP Захребетник especially. Apparently last year the duo did record and a release a digital track as teaser for their upcoming full length, which is smartly called Ragnaroll. Based on that title, I sort of detected a word-play of ‘Ragnarok’ and ‘roll’, bringing heathen thoughts to mind at the one hand, and a rock’n’roll-y attitude at the other.
A Gaze Blank And Pitiless As The Sun is the one and only full length recorded by defunct Danish formation Whelm. There was one single EP before (called The Prologue, 2006), and in 2010 the quartet registered their full album.
Sort Himmel is the name behind a new solo-outfit of Armando Luiz (think Servi Diaboli, Nihil or Obitus Vitae), a guy from Brazil who currently lives in Norway. He released / releases three tracks as demonstrational record via Cold Raw Records on CD (very limited!) (oh yes, let’s not forget to express gratitude to this label, once again!), and the same stuff sees / saw the (un)light in a self-release edition the digital way.
Chains Ov Beleth are one of the many projects that include Heolstor, formerly also known as Jarleth, and previously / currently active with e.g. Eald, Carcharoth (the Spanish one, evidently), Nazgul (the Spanish one, evidently), Uruk-Hai (the Spanish one, evidently), Cyhiriaeth (the Spanish one, evidently) etc.
The Funeral Doom scene in France is pretty interesting, at least that’s what undersigned is thinking about it. One of the (many) projects that I can truly appreciate is a quite productive one, being Abysmal Growls Of Despair, one of the many (digital) projects by Hangsvart. Despite the very young age of this project (and this guy), there are quite some recordings in mean time.
Déluge are a young quintet from the French city of Metz, formed in 2013. In 2014 the band independently released a very limited demonstrational recording on tape, from which the three tracks do appear on this album as well.
