Ivan Tibos.

The Finnish act Rippikoulu was formed at the end of the eighties as some Punk / Death hybrid, and they were very popular back then, at least in their home country. One of the reasons was the use of their native tongue (now this isn’t that unusual anymore, but in the early years, most bands from all over the globe used the English language specifically). The band split up in 1995 after the tragic death of their guitar player Marko, but shortly before, they recorded a demo-tape, Musta Seremonia.

Athens-based Fistbang Records have recently released Oltretomba’s The Death - Schieràti Con La Morte, the full length debut for this Italian act. As a matter of fact, Oltretomba started as a solo-outfit by Athanor’s Lucas Demon, and in 2008 he released a first (nameless) demo.

After two self-released EPs and a split (with Hiisi), the Finnish duo Oath finally signed a contract with a professional label, Belgium-based Immortal Frost Productions, in order to release their debut full length. The project consists of two experienced musicians: Ville ‘V-Khaoz’ Pallonen, who you might know from Azaghal, Hin Onde, Wyrd, Druadan Forest or Hellkult, amongst others, and A.

Distant Voices are a very young label from France, formed in Autumn 2012, but for sure it is a special one. It has to do with the musical direction, i.e. a mostly underground-oriented kind of grim, depressive, ambient, melancholic and / or atmospheric Black Metal, which I do adore. But there are more labels that do so. What this label makes so distinctive from any other, is the care and time the crew takes for each single release.

Hladomrak (Slavic Хладомрак meaning ‘cold darkness’) hail from Sweden and were formed in 2011 by members of e.g. Promenia and A.N.T.I. They self-released their self-titled album on March 31^st 2013, but the strong Winter Solace-label is so smart to give it a decent chance right now. Respect!

This album lasts for just over forty minutes and brings a fast, energetic, rhythmic, thrashing, pounding and melodic form of Black Metal. Hereby…

I guess it is because of their reformation last year, but in any way Swedish band God Macabre decided to re-release their sole official recording, The Winterlong, which dates from 1993. Before reviewing this masterpiece, first a short history of the band.

Short introduction: Deep In Hate hail from France; two albums before: Only The Strong Survive and Origins Of Inequality (resp. in 2007 and 2011). The quintet (now with drummer Nicolas Bastos, whom you might know from his co-operation with Aborted) return with a nine-tracker that lasts for thirty five minutes.

The Wroclaw, Poland-based band Dark Fury (not the Heavy Metal act with the prefix ‘the’) was formed in 1997 and has quite an impressive curriculum vitae. They are on Lower Silesian Stronghold for quite some period now (they were on the label when this one was still called True Underground Productions), and this eighth full length comes via the very same label.

When Black Anvil released their debut album Time Insults The Mind, I was enormously surprised; the positive way! The band was formed in New York City with members who were active in the NYHC-scene (the founding members were active in Kill Your Idols, for example), but Black Anvil’s 2008-debut had nothing to do with Hardcore whatsoever. And what’s more, their thrashing and Doom / Death-injected Black Metal truly was of a very high quality.

It has been quite a while, but I am glad I Hate did send our headquarters some new stuff at last. I cannot explain why, but their releases almost always please me a lot.