This album is in the vein of the latest one, meaning no more (Black) metal anymore, yet another Ambient-laden recording; what was going on? Is our dear Count sentenced to prison once again, or didn’t he want to caress his guitar strings anymore? I do not know, I have no idea, but just like last year’s Sôl Austan, Mâni Vestan, The Ways Of Yore is rather comparable to albums like Daudi Baldrs or Hlidskjàlf- though there are differences for sure as well.
This release is a compilation of material written and composed by Ross ‘Korihor’ Major, who’s active in Murk Rider as well, and formerly in Folivore and the defunct Black-duo Lurid. MMXI - MMXII consists of five hymns, lasting in between seven and thirteen minutes. Most tracks are taken from hard-to-get splits (with the likes of Nattferd or Korium, a.o.
Distant Voices are a very young label from France, but for sure it is a special one. Premièrement it has to do with the musical direction, i.e. a mostly underground-oriented kind of grim, depressive, ambient, melancholic and / or atmospheric Black Metal. Je l’adore! But there are more labels that do so. What does distinct this label from any other is the time-intensive care the crew takes for each single release.
Odmetnik are a pretty young label from Beograd, Serbia, focused on Doom Metal especially, yet not of the poppy kind. The label, by the way, is run by Miloš Vojinović, aka Škoms, the guy behind the Serbian Doom-band Propoved. The fifth release on their roster is the debut-EP of Swedish act Acolytes Of Moros, which was formed in 2010 as side-project for Anguish and Inception, if I’m not mistaken.
Woods Of Desolation are the brainchild of D., who hails from New South Wales, Australia, and who started this outfit in 2005. He was active in Grey Waters too, at that moment, but he was able to have some first recordings done with guest vocalists. About four years ago, the project signed to the Northern Silence-roster, and a first result of this collaboration was called Torn Beyond Reason, a majestic epic that I do still consider one of the highlights of 2011.
Vinyl lovers rejoice...for Indie Recordings is re-issuing Warduna's debut album (originally released by the band in 2009, with the label release happening in 2012) on your beloved music carrier! For those unfamiliar with this Norwegian Dark Folk act, a short background.
Voice Of Ruin was born in 2008 driven by the common desire of five Swiss farmers who dreamt of leaving the family farm and becoming rock stars. Hungry for success and recognition, the five strapping young lads abandoned their shovels and harvesters to take on a different type of instruments, with the goal of becoming icons of sex, alcohol and rock’n’roll (or horny farmer metal).
This German Metalcore sextet from the small village of Kevelaer (situated near the Dutch border, at about 25 km North of Venlo) was founded in September 2009 by singers Maik Krause and Christopher Küppers, guitarists Boris Smolorz and Jos Ingenpass, bassist Johannes van Berlo and drummer Thorsten Schad, and so prolific and well in-tune with each other were the youngsters, that by Spring 2010 they already self-released their debut EP My Last Seconds.
Unaussprechlichen Kulten are probably one of the most legendary bands ever from Chilean soil. Their last album, People Of The Monolith, was nothing else but a masterpiece, and I was quite happy to notice that now, finally, after six years of impatience, the band does return with their third full length, Baphomet Pan Shub-Niggurath. Iron Bonehead will release the stuff on vinyl.
I was quite surprised when I received this album, because Debemur Morti Productions are a label I do refer to Black Metal in general, and Tamerlan are an acoustic Neo-Folk project. Yet at the other hand, the border in between (Black) Metal and Neo-Folk isn’t but an imaginary and subjective element. Okay, the Music itself does differ, but there are lots of connections in between both genres: shared artists / musicians, comparable lyrical concepts and, of course, many other labels that do house bands and projects from both these aural styles.
