Split CD / Vinyl

Negre PlanY is a new sub-label by Negra Nit Distro from the country of Catalunya – oops, I mean from the region of Catalunya. On June 21^st 2019, this label brought out two things as first releases, being the debut full length for Melangia (unfortunately this album did not come my way (yet), so I can’t write down my thoughts on it) and a split which this review will deal with. Tetrarchia Ex Bestia is a four-way split, gathering four pretty interesting acts from Spanish soil.

SURPRISE!!!

…hope I didn’t scare you. But please continue reading – consider it a warning – for this split might scare you off for sure!

This review deals with an untitled split release in between two excellent projects from Down Under, Illimitable Dolor and Promethean Misery. The material is available via digital sources and on compact disc, which you can order via their Bandcamp pages. The latter comes in an edition of 500 (few hand-numbered) copies.

It is always a great thing to get confronted with new material on Eighth Tower Records, for this Italian label, part of the Unexplained Sounds Group family, did release some excellent stuff in the past. This time the release deals with a four-way partnership, which includes at least one project that I deeply adore – and now, after a couple of listens, that number did increase up to four!

Since a couple of years, I am the sole reviewer for Concreteweb. No further comment on the reasons, especially after the passing away of my great friend - and devoted Music-fan - Dirk, who started this webzine at the end of last century. Some left because of personal issues, some because of emotional connections, and several were just assholes, dickheads, selfish and stupid humans. Homo f*cking sapiens indeed, way too important to get no physical stuff anymore, yet just digital – aaargh, don’t let me start about those f*****…

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust… Hail to purification, death to the inferior spawn of terrorist prophets!

When Black Metal was born almost four decades ago (!), Greece was one of the protagonists, yet largely underestimated. Throughout the years, the Hellenic scene remained of high importance, but they never reached the same fame as, let’s say, the Scandinavian countries. Of course, there are some exceptions, but I am not going to come up with a list of ‘known’ (read: popular) band from out there. You know who they are…

As a convinced ‘fan’ of obscure, mystic, occult, ritual or just crazy Aural Art, I do whatever it takes - no, not whatever, yet at least quite a lot - to promote and support the (underground) scene. As an open-minded reviewer, I do write chronicles for new material, kindly offered to me by labels or bands / projects, but I do not mind, never at all, to spend my time on listening to, and writing about older material too. When a label or a band propose me to review an older recording, and in case I think it is worth spending my (valuable) time, I have no reason not to do so.

I must admit that I am not exactly Mater terra’s most convinced fan of Crust / Grind / Hardcore stuff, though I can appreciate that stuff when I am in the mood. And there are a couple of labels that can convince me with their Grind-edged stuff, like: Xtreem, Relapse, Identified By Dental, Selfmadegod, Unique Leader and so on.

This untitled split album compiles previously released yet, sometimes, hard-to-get material from two cult-acts within the world of Thrash-Heavy-Fucking-Metal Violence. There’s Guerra Total at the one hand, a total-war horde from the capital of Colombia, and Metalucifer at the other, once started as a side-project for Japan’s finest Sabbat.