Quite soon after the full length Tysiacletnie Kajdany, which was this band’s fourth full length in a decade and a half of existence, Mystherium return with a new EP, Zwycięstwo. It’s a five-tracker that lasts for twenty-three minutes. The EP comes in a truly beautifully artistic CD-edition via Lower Silesian Stronghold, and there’s a (limited) tape-edition too (Werewolf Promotion). The material was mixed and mastered by Wojciech Cenajek at the Metal Sound Studio.
Most of you will probable recognize the name of Nicolas Skog as the (sympathetic) guy behind one of Canada’s finest labels, Hypnotic Dirge Records. But he’s the guy as well who plays in Ancient Tundra, a project that surprised me enormously last year with Lost In Claustrophobic Thoughts.
I usually do not write an article about a short preview on an upcoming release. But if asked very kindly, I can’t say no. Why should I ignore a good band anyway, especially when a review might mean some additional promotion and attention? So here I am…
Incipient Chaos are an act from Nantes, France, formed somewhere in 2014. That very same year, they recorded and released a first EP, called Sulphur, which was based on the first alchemic presentation of sulphur, represented through symbolisation aspects like Earth and Fire, Spirit and Man (the masculine representation of humans). It was, just for your information, released in Summer 2014 via their own sources (digital) and Mortis Humanae Productions (physical edition).
After The Abyss Stares Back # 1, The Abyss Stares Back # 2, The Abyss Stares Back # 3, and, indeed, The Abyss Stares Back # 4, we can now welcome The Abyss Stares Back # 5, the final instalment of this vinyl series. Under the collaborative flag of Absent In Body, this time too, The Abyss Stares Back stands for a co-operation by some of our world’s most unique, prominent and authoritarian (smiley…) artists.
Despite more than a decade of existence, Catalonian act (I dare not to mention ‘Spanish act’ anymore) Human Ashtray have a very selected biography, with one release in 2007 and one in 2012. That’s it, until now. As a four-piece, these guys now return with Exile, a seven-song album that lasts for about twenty-eight minutes. The material was recorded, mixed and mastered at the Trempol Studio with guitarist Xevi Alegre behind the desk.
You know, I was sort of depressed, for I didn’t hear anything about Immortal Frost Productions and possible new releases anymore since quite some time. In very early Spring this year, this Belgian label released Satan Ov Suns by Scandinavian top-act Doedsvargr, yet then all noise faded away into an ear-piercing silence. So imagine my semi-happiness when noticing that the label came back quite recently with – evidently – again a superb release.
For one reason or another, Satanath Records and sub-label Symbol Of Domination Productions have some secret passion for the Costa Rican Extreme Metal scene.
~~When he was doing his military duties in 2004 for the fabulous (small dose of sarcasm included) American army in South Korea, Seth ‘Rellik’ Brooke decided to start Gravespawn as a solo-outfit, to canalise his misanthropic ideas and thoughts. Before he was in Lythos, but since his partners in crime from that band weren’t with him… After a first demo, he returned to California, joining forces with bass player Andrew ‘Advorsus’ Inman, who was part of the Lythos line-up too. Soon after a second demo followed, but then things went silent.
Ritual Genocide are a pretty young (formed in 2013) three-piece (drummer Immolater, vocalist / bassist S19 and guitar player Hydra73) from Reno, Nevada, sharing members with Blasphemous Creation and Terroreactor. In 2015 they had a split with Phosphore Blanc (Invidious Allegiance; two tracks on this EP, by the way, did appear on that split), and now we can enjoy their first six-track mini-album, Commencement Towards Annihilation.
