Bhleg are a young duo, consisting of two Ljuset-members, though this duo does not act like just a Ljuset side-project. Bhleg surely are a distinctive entity on its own. Ludvig Andersson (vocals and bass) and Simon Johansson (guitars, vocals, keyboards and additional percussion), along with session drummer Robert Johansson, recorded the material for this first album in winter 2013-2014 at Studio Asu and A.M.P.
Profundae Libidines are one of the projects that includes Rémi Depernet, who acts under the name Philoxera right here. At the end of spring 2011 he independently released a first full length, on which Rémi performed almost all instruments + he was helped out by several guest vocalists and a session violinist.
Mekigah is an effusion of sounds emanating from a dark turbulent vortex… A beautiful blackened bastard child of diverse dark genres’... Does this introduction make you happy? Horny? Anxious? Scared? Or maybe all of them? In that case, I recommend you to read on!
In the past twenty years, Saarland-based act Old Pagan did release quite some stuff, amongst three full length studio albums; this review deals with the latest one the band did. The experienced band (the members are involved with several other notorious underground bands) took a break during the second half of last decade, but since a couple of years they seem to even more productive / active than ever before.
Next year French act Maïeutiste will celebrate its tenth anniversary, but throughout all those years, these guys have not been that active at all. Now, nine years after their formation, they finally come up with the nameless debut full length album, which gets offered to the (grateful?) audience by the sublime French label Les Acteurs De L’Ombre Productions. The recording session took place as from 2009 up to 2014, with recording and mixing assistance of Ari Lausseur.
Sacred Sin were / are one of the best known bands from Portugal, initially formed in 1991. They debuted in 1992 with the EP The Shades Behind, followed one year later by their full length debut Darkside (via Portuguese label Musica Alternativa).
Boar are a band from Oulu, Finland, formed at the end of last decade. They recorded and released a couple of cassettes / EP’s and contributed on some splits, and they performed live on stage with the likes of Conan, Weedeater or Dark Buddha Rising. Last year they started recording Veneficae at their own studio Stoner Katakombs Of Doom. Seen the name of their studio, and seen the label they have released their debut on, you can guess what kind of sonic pleasure this band does perform, I think.
Ether are an outfit from Canadian guy Scythrawl, whom you might know as well from several great projects such as Unquintessence, Nefastus Dies or Trails Of Anguish. Under this moniker’s name, Scythrawl did release a first album about eight years ago, called Deprived, Repressed Feelings. Those who know, and appreciate that first effort, will certainly be pleased with the sophomore album, Hymns Of Failure, a double-CD with six pieces that last for ninety (!) minutes.
Greek outfit Diabolical Principles is a project by members of e.g. Mortuus Caelum and Divine Blasphemy. Throughout the past decade, they released a handful of stuff, and now they return with the third full length, which is called The Final Step Before The Dawn. The material was produced, engineered, mixed and mastered at the Abyssal Studio and Studio 5 by main members Gareth and Geegor, and the result lasts for sixty two (!) minutes.
I was quite surprised, but I did listen two or three times to Reverie’s debut album Bliss before I noticed that the members involved are younger than twenty years of age! What a maturity they do inherit; it’s truly remarkable! There were two demonstrational recordings before, but I am pretty sure that there is much more professionally recorded material to come. But let’s not run too fast, and focus on the first-things-first principle.
