Kunsthauch

Mal Etre are a Swiss project by Nocturnalpriest, who’s also active with blackened outfits Malvoisie, Baalshamin, Parämnesia and Polish horde Funebrum. After a handful of demos, Mal Etre released a first full length in 2010, Torment, via the great Kunsthauch-label. It was one of the most surprising albums that very same year, I think.

How many bands do you know from Puerto Rico? My knowledge is limited to two hands full of Death and Black Metal combos, with an act like Azmaveth absolutely belonging to my favourites from the Caribbean region (their Strong As Death-album was one of my top-albums in 2008). Well, now I am truly pleased to meet Falgar. I heard of this solo-project of Etienne Goldberg, but I had not heard any of the material before.

There are many bands called Hopeless, but this review deals with the Spanish one. It was (‘was’ and not ‘is’, because the project was put to rest in mean time) the solo-outfit of a guy called Lvciferrian aka S. Vrall, who formed this project during the second half of last decade. Now he continues with Aversion To Mankind, by the way. After some demos and a couple of EP’s, he recorded his sole full length, called Elements. It was released via Russia’s Kunsthauch.

Falgar are a one-man army from the exotic isle of Puerto Rico. It was formed in 2007 in the capital San Juan by Etienne Goldberg, formerly in Amenofis. After two demos (in 2007 and 2008), Falgar released a first EP, I Was Welcomed By Death (2008), shortly after followed by the debut full length, called Paths Which You Seek (2009).

Древо aka Drevo are a Russian project by Egor ‘Jarogor’ Chernyshov, with two full lengths released in 2008. One of them, called Велuчuе (Velichie), was the second release for what I think is one of the most interesting labels lately, Kunsthauch. Since the Kunsthauch headquarters were so kind to send this album to our HQ, I will be so kind, of course, to have this album reviewed, despite its age.

Au Sacré Des Nuits were formed as Destroying Monumentum in 2005 by Necrophelinthron and Nihil (both involved with e.g. Abske Fides or Shyy). This São Paulo-based act released a couple of demos before recording their debut Anti Humain. The album was originally released in July 2009 via defunct Beneath The Fog Productions, though in a very limited edition of fifty copies only.

Stelle Senza Luce (which means something like ‘stars without light’) was the first full length by Italian trio (now a duo) Movimento D’Avanguardia Ermetico; there was a second full length in 2012 via the Italian label The Oath, as well as a couple of splits.

I have to admit: I did not know Spüolus, at least not before Kunsthauch were so kind to send me (and in extension, ‘us’, for I am part of the Concreteweb-crew, of course…) the first, and sole full length album Behind The Event Horizon. The only other thing this project did, if I am not wrong, was a split (with Mare Frigoris) in 2013, which has been re-issued as well via Kunsthauch.

I had not heard of Swiss solo-project Astral Silence, run by a guy mysteriously called Quaoar, before, but with this project there was a first contribution on a three-way split in 2009. Astral Journey, which this review deals with, is the first Astral Silence-album, and in 2013 the very same label, Kunsthauch, did release the sophomore full album, Open Cold Dark Matter. But first things first, and that’s Astral Journey.