Ivan Tibos.

What a surprise, this second opus of Helgian horde Evil Shepherd (named after the old novel by E. Ph. Oppenheim?)!

Ett Grindslagsmål I 2 Delar means something like ‘one Grind-massacre in two parts’. That’s the linguistic part of the story. No thanks…

France and eccentric Black Metal, I can sum up tens of bands that play unorthodox yet still very orthodox, and mostly unique, refreshing Black Metal, pushing limits and trespassing borders, without forgetting the core of their raison d’être. A young act that follows the very same direction is this one.

Forgotten Tomb was formed at the end of last century as a solo-outlet for Italian multi-instrumentalist Herr Morbid, but as from 2003 on, the act turned into a ‘real’ band. The earliest years were characterised by ice-cold, breath-taking and suffocative Suicidal Black Metal of the most depressive kind, but there was a permanent evolution, with a more experimental approach after a while.

For example, you need to check out 2011’s Under Saturn Retrogade, posted by undersigned on May 8^th 2011 (see the archives section).

Nadir Promotion and Buil2Kill Records released a couple of new albums in 2012, which have been send to our headquarters recently through the promotional staff behind the label. Some of them were transported into my hemisphere, so (in a couple of cases) I will be glad to …

Veritas Odium Parit by Russian trio (originally a one-man project) Arcanum Sanctum lasts for half an hour and just like the 2010-debut Fidus Achates, the stuff was mixed and mastered at the NavahoHut in Moscow.

American act Decrepitaph, consisting of two highly experienced musicians (Elektrokutioner and Sinworm), are known for numerous releases. Many of them were released as part of a split-EP, often on vinyl edition only. Therefore any compact disk-possessor and Gore / Death lover cannot but growl out loud: aaaaaarghhhh!

Forgotten Scriptures (The Collection), indeed, is a compilation with material taken from several splits the duo did in the past, including a couple of previously unreleased songs too.

The huge scene from Suomi has bands / projects in between ‘I can’t stand at all’ till ‘hail and praise’. Behexen for sure do belong to the second category. I follow them since their debut Rituale Satanum (Sinister Figure, 1999/2000).

Vladimirs, aka The Vladimirs, are a Cincinnati, Ohio-based Horror Rock formation, formed in 1995 by (former) members of e.g. Thorns Of The Carrion, Estuary and Bad Samaritans. The band did record a rich hand full of albums in mean time, mainly through Bloodpact Music (early years) and Blood & Guts Records (as from 2003’s The Odds Are Against Us).

The very young act Trails Of Sorrow hails from Italy and debuts with Languish In Oblivion through US-based label Domestic Genocide. The duo (vocalist / lyricist Dying Poet Of Funeral Litanies and instrumentalist / programmer / music writer Friedrich Restless Soul) brings a somewhat mystic mixture of both Ambient-Gothic-Doom and Funeral Doom-oriented Dark Metal, emotional, atmospheric and ominous.

Daylight Dies were originally formed in 1996 in Asheville, yet in mean time they relocated to Raleigh (North Carolina). Throughout the years, the band recorded different studio works, amongst which three full length, and without exception all of them were reviewed extremely positively by the international press.