Ivan Tibos.

As appetizer: check out the reviews (professionally and grimly) done for this splendid website in our archives section for Aeon’s former releases.

Norwegian act Repulsive Aggression was formed almost five years ago by some Svarttjern-members (guitar player Saether and grunter Holter), with assistance of drummer Nødset (Frail Grounds). They did record a three-track demo a couple of years ago, which drew attention of Schwarzdorn from Germany, resulting in the current contract.

First discussion: full length or mini? Nearly thirty minutes, not fully.

Second discussion, and much more important: what to think about this material? The band consists of highly experienced musicians (Mark Riddick, Brian Forman and Matt Pike), so the expectations are high. Is it satisfying, does it fulfil one’s morbid nightmares?

Svart Records holds especially Finnish acts on its roster, yet there are a couple of exceptions. This goes, for example, for High Priest Of Saturn. This band hails from Trondheim, Norway, and consists of three permanent members: Merethe Heggset, Martin Sivertsen and Andreas Hagen.

The number of Metal bands that I do know from Liechtenstein, a country sweetly floating in between Switzerland and Austria, is very limited, especially when it comes to ‘my kind’ of Metal. There are a couple of acts I do like within the Dark Goth / Ambient / Classical genre (WeltenBrand and the likes), and we do / did have bands / projects like Elis / Erben Der Schöpfung, but when it comes to Death / Black / Funeral Doom / … material, this country remains quasi-virginal. Liechtenstein isn’t but a very small country, of course.

I did have the goated honour to review Milking The Goatmachine’s former releases Back From The Goats, Seven… A Dinner For One, and Clockwork Udder (see this wonderful site’s archive section in case you do goatly care), and now our pretty website’s boss grants me with this crazy combo’s newest play, Stallzeit. Time to go to bed, dear goats, but not without those sweet lullabies during bedtime-porridge!

I have to admit: I’ve never been a ‘fan’ of this Dutch band. Holland is known for its huge so-called ‘female fronted’ scene, i.e. Gothic, Symphonic or Epic oriented (Heavy) Metal with a female singer, and more than once this country exceeds the international colleagues / competitors easily. In many cases, the Netherlands indeed are spectacular country (I won’t start enlist a selection of bands, because whatever…), but La-Ventura did never please my ear drums or grey cells at all (cf. a full length and an EP during the first decennium of this century).

The Italian quartet Heretic’s Dream did record this full length at Apex House Studio (production, engineering and mix) with assistance of e.g. Steve Russell, whom I do know from his studio assistance with Metalcore-oriented acts specifically.

His contribution led to a clean, rather polished and modern sound for sure, which fits to the musical approach of Heretic’s Dream. Translated: modern, poppy material…

Only recently received, even though originating from the end of last year (so are many releases, so WTF…).

Objective info: Alms And Avarice was recorded at Black Coffee Sound by Clay Neely (Elder, Black Pyramid, Killslug) during last year’s summer.

Half-and-half, subjective versus objective info: Doom stuff with a chilly atmosphere and powerful sound, balancing in between tradition and experimentalism.

This split-album isn’t just some cheap re-release. It was originally released on 10” vinyl edition in 500 copies, and now it gets re-released with a bonus track done by each band involved with the split. Again in 500 copies only, by the way…

Actually, this material was (re-) released to celebrate SardoniS’ Japanese tour and so on, but who cares, besides a handful of Japanese Sludgers?...