The scene from Belarus is not that ‘huge’ as the ones from neighbours Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia or Ukraine. The Possession-label is a good example for nice material coming from that (contested) country (I would like to refer to the review on Šmiercieslaŭ’s album Cjomny Pryliŭ Razburennja / Ciemrazoŭ, posted on September 2nd).
One of the most interesting splits I came across lately is The Antichristian Symphonies, a five-way sampler with both new and old material from five quite differing European acts. The double album gets released as jewel-case in an edition of 500 copies.
Tiran aka TирAн are a Russian combo I had not heard of before. I even have no idea whether this is a full-time and full-member band or a solo-project, I don’t know when they were formed, and if there’s other stuff available. But once again I will focus this time on what I did receive from the great Satanath-roster, and that’s this single, Used.
This time I am not going to spent too much time on the introduction of a band / project (the latter, in Raventale’s case), because 1) I am too lazy right now (not really, but I just wanted to make a statement) and 2) this is a review that deals with a compilation and not a ‘real’ recording. So I’ll keep it short: Raventale rules!
Despite quite some years of existence - Artificum Nex were formed in 2007 - this Russian band didn’t release but one single official thing, the EP Desert Of Sins. This mini-album, consisting of four tracks, was released via one of the greatest labels from Russia, Satanath Records, in July 2013.
One of Russia’s oldest Death Metal acts for sure is this one: Bestial Deform, created in 1990 and still active. There was an official break for a couple of years at the end of last century, and the past decade there was nearly anything going on (the last album, Stop The Christianity!, was released in 2005). But since I do consider Bestial Deform as one of the strongest and most influential Death Metal acts from Russia, I am truly pleased by the band’s return.
Polish act Lugburz were formed in 1996, and after some demonstrational recordings, they released a first full length studio album in 2006, called Triumph Of The Antichrist. There has been a split too in mean time (with fellow countrymen Meghorash, a one-man project by Northrend) and a break for many years. But now, finally, Lugburz return with a second full length, Pure Misanthropy Of Death, which was actually recorded in early spring 2011.
Abigorum are the project by Satanath’s owner Aleksey Korolyov. There was an untitled demo-MCD in 2012, totally instrumental, which was the first release on Aleksey’s label as well, and now the guy had the time to record a new track, My Haemophilia, and have it released on his very own label in order to please or irritate (delete as appropriate) our presence. In my case: please or irritate. It deals with one song only, which lasts for three minutes, but it surely is a monument of a hymn!
Garth Arum is probably a new name to many a Metal music lover, and that's not so surprising...because it is the solo outing of a musician by the name of Nightmarer...whom in normal life is known as singer/ guitarist Óscar Martín of Madrid based Avant-Garde Metal outfit As Light Dies.
