If there’s one thing you cannot accuse Grave Digger of, it’s of being unproductive. Since their debut in 1984, and despite a six year hiatus that spanned from 1987 to 1993, they’ve so far released 16 full albums if you include the 1987 ‘Stronger Than Ever’ album which was released under the name Digger. So this, my friends, makes ‘Return Of The Reaper’ their 17th studio album. And between these studio albums, they’ve also released EP’s, compilations, live albums….
It is not the first time that I will review an album by a band or project from an ‘unusual’ country – think United Arab Emirates (Nervecell), Maldives (Sacred Legacy), Saudi-Arab (Al Namrood), Jordan (Relics Of Martyrs) or Iran (Margg). In my personal collection, by the way, there’s more stuff from those countries, as well as the likes of Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Bahrein or Lebanon.
Tim ‘Sorrow’ Yatras is one of Australia’s most active guys within the Music-scene, with activities ranging from Pop, Pop-Rock and Electro-Pop to extremer sides of aural pleasure, such as Doom and Black Metal. I won’t go over the Pop-related stuff, but heavier acts he’s involved with, and which you might know, are Pestilential Shadows, Austere, Woods Of Desolation (as session member), Germ, Battalion or Grey Waters, amongst tens of others.
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.
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.
Sometimes it’s great to be a reviewer, and sometimes it’s rather a curse. Since I normally do stuff I might like (Black and Funeral Doom Metal, Industrial and Ambient, and some Thrash, Death, Grind, Sludge, Drone or Boogie Woogie [delete as appropriate]), I can often experience things that make me as horny as [self-censorship]. We at Concreteweb try to be as open-minded as possible. We have our specific specialities, and when something weird shows up, Tony often gets the honour to deepen into this stuff.
Vermin Womb is a new band, formed by Ethan Lee Mc Carthy, known from his activities in Primitive Man (the review on Scorn was updated on October 21st 2013), and formerly in e.g. Death Of Self, Salo, Clinging To The Trees Of A Forest Fire etc.
Band: Scaphandre
Title: Les Ancres / {The Abyssal Crypts}
Label: Misandreproductions
Distribution: Alchemic Sound Museum
Release date: January 20th 2012 / November 22nd 2012
Review: CD / EP
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Finnish band Rippikoulu was formed at the very end of the eighties, singing in their native tongue (now this isn’t that unusual anymore, but in the early years, most bands from all over the globe used the English language specifically). The band split up in 1995 after the death of guitarist Marko, and despite this tragic loss, their 1993-demo-tape Musta Seremonia was cool enough to be re-issued on both vinyl and CD via their current label, Svart Records.
Pagan Assault are a Paris-based solo-project by KFD Vordak, the same guy who runs the Soleil Blanc-label. This label houses two projects, i.e. Pagan Assault and Anthropophobe. And hey, the latter is another solo-project by KFD. An independent hands-on guy who also does all production, recording and mix himself.
