CD

Ah, what a great surprise. Okay, when a label celebrates its 100^th release, it is like party time, but when they come up with a fabulous soundtrack to enrich that festivity…

Despite being formed more than a decade ago, Krasnoyarsk-based duo Истина (aka Istina, which is Russian for ‘truth’) has not such a huge curriculum vitae. But hey, that’s all about the philosophical question: do you prefer quantity or quality? Since I do absolutely and deeply prefer the latter, quality, I am glad that this band focuses on a long-time writing and recording process rather than releasing an overload of inferior stuff.

About one year and some months ago, I came in touch with the very sympathetic Italian guy Raffaele Pezzella, who’s the very same guy behind the great project Sonologyst. Deep investigation done by undersigned taught me that Raffaele is the very same guy who runs Unexplained Sounds Group, which must be one of the most open-minded labels within the international Experimental / Ambient / Drone / Minimal scene.

Brahdr’uhz are a very young yet quite productive outfit from Swiss, run by Brahz (voices, strings, percussion) and assisted by drummer Penetranalattack Deflagramicide. Yeah, why not… The project released several things in not that much time, especially independently, sometimes in partnership with Underground labels (Albanian Medieval Werewolf Antiquarium Label).

I do not think that Azaghal do need an extended introduction, so I’ll keep it brief. This Finnish horde started in 1995, first as Belfogor, then under the Nargoventor-moniker, and under their current name they dwell around as from 1998. Throughout the years, the band recorded and released quite some material, with a couple of absolute highlights included.

With some delay, but since it is never too late to focus on some wonderful material… And as prequel for the upcoming album Egrégore…

Muruth was formed in 2008 by a guy from Slovakia, known as von Ulfhednir. That very same year, a short demonstrational recording was released digitally (with assistance of a session singer), but then things turned into silence.

Exactly two years after the grandiose recording One Lumen In The Past (http://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/exit-grey), Exit In Grey come up with моменты (read: ‘momenty’), getting released once more via Moscow-based Frozen Light. I would like to refer to that review when interested in the history of Exit In Grey (or that specific album; why shouldn’t you anyway?).

Although the band was formed in 2008, Wrathrone have not been that active actually. In Spring 2013 they independently released the EP Left Unburied, and in very early 2018, Inverse Records released the band’s debut full length album, Born Beneath. Then it took another two years for this Finnish band to release the second full studio album, Reflections Of Torment.

I have to admit that I do not know more than five or six, maybe seven bands from Cuba when it comes to the harsher side of the music(k)al spectrum. Yet as from now on, I can add another one to this (way too limited) list: Skjult. Apparently it is the brainchild of one Conspirator, born as Javier Rodriguez Prendes.