Before introducing this band and their first EP, some words about Symbol Of Domination Productions. This is a Belarussian label initially run by a colleague of Satanath’s label manager Aleksey. The latter did some PR-work for the label. However, earlier this year, his partner decided to stop his activities for this label, so it gets now sort of run by Aleksey. The label released some demonstrational material in the recent past.
The American band Solace Of Requiem aren’t a traditional band, nor easily comparable to one or another sub-genre whatsoever. In 2004 they released their self-called debut album, which brought very dense and old schooled Doom-Death Metal. The second one, Utopia Reborn (2006), was quite different, for adding somewhat classic Death Metal with lots of progressive elements. Then the band underwent some internal struggles, so it took quite some time before they were able to return with another album.
There are quite some bands with the moniker Skoll, but this review deals with the young Swedish one. Skoll were formed in 2010 in Sweden’s capital Stockholm. They recorded two demonstrational / rehearsal recordings, twice extremely limited, in the past, and now they come up with Helvetestromb, once again independently released and once again extremely limited (only fifty tapes are made with one single goal: violently torturing our eardrums).
Sacred Sin were / are one of the most ‘popular’ bands from Portugal, though their popularity has never reached the level of, let’s say, a band like Moonspell. That’s undeserved and a pity. They were formed in 1991 and debuted in 1992 with the EP The Shades Behind. One year later, Sacred Sin released their full length debut Darkside via Portuguese label Musica Alternativa, followed by several other albums and some compilations.
I have never hided my appreciation for this Australian act. I do adore each single release I know about them, but I was sort of anxious because it took quite a long time to hear about these guys again. But don’t worry, because Luke ‘Balam’ Mills and his crew (quite a new line-up!) finally, after almost four years, return with the fifth full length, Ephemeral. Once again much of the material was recorded, mixed etc. by Balam at the Scourge Studio, and drums and vocals were registered at the Adversary Studio.
Formed in July 2012, Metal Moth started out as Mark, Chris and David jamming in Chris' living room without a band name to go by. The name for the band came when Chris sat on a Moth during one of the practices and killed it. It started as a joke to name the band after the moth, but it kind of sticked with them.
Northumbria was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the east of England with quite an interesting history. As from about 500 A.C. on, it was quite an important and mighty kingdom, until Danish Vikings conquered the region in the ninth century. But since we’re not an online encyclopaedia…
It’s also a region not that far away from Toronto, Canada, with a notorious university…
I was aware of an act called Nocturnal Sacrifice, because of their Evil Invasion-EP (from 2010). But apparently there is a Mexican band too with that moniker (the one I knew hails from Peru), formed in 2009. They have one recording on their discography, Igne In Tenebris, which they did release independently in October 2013. Because of the quality of that material, Cold Raw Records, being one of the most interesting young labels lately, decided to have this stuff re-released, about one year after the initial self-release.
After two splits - one with Slaughtered Priest, which is another project Necrochakal’s Ungod is involved with, and one with Texas-based Terrorist - Greek combo Necrochakal release the Profanation Of The Gods-EP via Greek labels Metal Throne Productions (which is run by Ungod) and mighty Fistbang Records.
Spanish duo Morkulv (vocalist Funedëim and multi-instrumentalist Wulfheim) releases its debut Where Hollowness Dwells in co-operation with four labels. It’s an eleven-tracker that starts with a very short yet pretty haunting intro (Prologue - Mork). But then, as from Red, Dark… Infinite on, it’s quite something else. Morkulv bring a mostly nasty, schizoid and malignant form of un(der)wordly Black Metal, quite fast, quite simplistic, quite melodic, but above all: filled with anger and terror.
