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Japan has quite a vivid Noise scene, and this since the earliest years of this underestimated genre.

Cultus Profano is the name of a new entity from the Californian city of Los Angeles. It is meant to promote cocktails on the beach, fast cars and colourful bath fashion… Not! No, it is an outfit by Arthur Mendiola aka Advorsus, knows as (former or current) drummer (and vocalist) in e.g. Sadistic Intent, Vesterian or Blaskyrkh. He joined forces with (female) guitarist / vocalist Strzyga with Cultus Profano as moniker.

Cryo Chamber have never been afraid to release collaboration – I am not talking about split releases, yet about recordings based on a co-operation of different artists. Label owner Simon, for example, has several collabs with his (sublime) project Atrium Carceri, but the same goes for quite a lot projects that are closely related to this label (Alphaxone, Cities Last Broadcast, ProtoU, Council Of Nine, God Body Disconnect and so on).

“While the companion’s dread was reflected in the stones a way opened. The streaming water formed an ocean that crystallized the light from the incantations and spells of our guide. They discovered the cult that was upsetting the place and that was abandoning itself in despicable rituals from the depths of time.” That is exactly what this album deals with, like an introduction of an illustrious journey through ancient Mesopotamian mysteries, myths and occult rituals, an esoteric trip towards a forgotten cave of metaphysical darkness and lights.

Hailing from the very south of Saskatchewan (actually, they are from the city of Regina), not that far from the border with our oh so beloved country U.S.Aargh, Altars Of Grief are another Extreme Doom band from Canadian soil – or is it Prairie Doom they are performing...

Earlier this year I published a review for 2016’s full length album D.I.M. (http://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/nagaarum), and soon I will also write and update one for the newest one, called Apples, but this review deals with the former recording, Homo Maleficus, which was actually released fifteen months ago.

Łódź-based horde Doomster Reich return with a fourth release, after The League For Mental Distillation (2014, The End Of Time Records, http://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/doomster-reich), Let Us Fall (originally independently released, then re-issued in 2015 by The End Of Time Records; see http://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/doomster-reich-0), and the EP Seven Seals (2017, s

Iran… Known for its repressive government, Shiite-religious fundamentalism, millennia-old Persian civilization (more than 2,500 years of culture, including a huge heritage of historical remnants – praise and respect!), beautiful women (these women have the most beautiful eyes in the world), tasteful ab kusht, even a successful wrestling team and a fabulous, undeniably attractive anti-appreciation for our Earth’s newest Caesar, Mister Donald T... But when it comes to Music, well, that might seem quite limited, even narrow-minded, in our western countries.

There are quite some interesting acts within the French (Funeral) Doom / Doom-Death scene, and one of my preferred ones for sure is this one: Monolithe.

I’d like to start this review with an excerpt from the bio. “Music is an obscure and ambiguous discipline, whose forms reflect in full light the mysteries of the soul. As most of the art forms, it deals with the paradox of the materialization of thoughts, feelings and beliefs. It reveals what is hidden, dives deep in the depths of mind, and brings back its ghosts to the surface for everyone to see.”