Exactly three years after the release of the debut album Orgelhuset, Swedish duo Hymnambulae returned with their sophomore full length album, Nausikaa. Hymnambulae is a project by the siblings Åsa and Pär Boström, who both run the small yet very fine label Hypnagoga Press. And it is their own label that also released this second studio recording under the Hymnambulae moniker.
Cor unum, essentia una sumus (one heart, we are one essence)… One truth, the core of ritualistic in-depth and the spirituality of the Dark Side…
The Greek band Aeonian Sorrow was formed almost five years ago by (beautiful) singer Gogo Malone, whom you might know from Gothic Death Metal act Luna Obscura. She started this outfit to have her own ideas canalised into own songs, and soon she got accompanied by other (talented) musicians from Greece, Colombia and Finland.
I have to admit that I do not know that much bands from FYROM aka the Former Yugoslavian Republic Of Macedonia aka North Macedonia nowadays. Born For Slaughter, Aeon Arcanum, Maras or Tremula are a handful of bands that I do appreciate, but I have to thank Satanath Records’ Aleksey once more for introducing me to Vehementor.
This review deals with a release that is almost archetypically ancient, yet still… When I think that something is worth getting any additional support or attention, I’m yours…
I am not going to introduce this project anymore – I did it a couple of times in the (recent) past (links: see below). But let’s be sure that I am always somehow aroused when I notice that Alphaxone did release something new. Just in short, FYI: it is an outfit by Iran-born musician Mehdi Saleh, very closely related to the mighty Cryo Chamber label.
I was truly thrilled and aroused when I heard about the follow-up of 2019’s The Substance Of Perception, which I do consider one of that year’s highlights when it comes to the more ritualistic and darkened side of Ambient. That album was the official debut by Neraterræ, an outfit by Italian musician Alessio Antoni.
Hailing from Silesia, Poland, Severe Storm is an outfit by Kolan, whom you might know from bands and projects like Antisemitex, Odour Of Death or Defenders Of Europe, amongst some others.
Tolkien freaks will recognize the name ‘ohtar’ as being an esquire of King Isildur, who brought the broken pieces of the king’s legendary sword to the elfish city of Rivendell after some cowardly attack. But it is the name as well from a Polish band which was formed more than two decades ago. Ohtar, the band, recorded some demos and split contributions during the late Nineties and the early 2000’s, and in 2003, Supreme Art released the impressive debut full length album When I Cut The Throat (re-released afterwards on vinyl and tape).
Damn, this has taken quite some time… The last Saturnalia Temple recording was released five years ago. That one, called To The Other, saw the light via one of the oldest Metal labels from French soil, Listenable Records, and it is the very same label that takes care of Saturnalia Temple’s newest full-length studio album, Gravity. It’s available via the modern digital sources, as well as on vinyl (12”LP) and compact disc (digipack).
