Popioły are a solo project from Poland that plays a very modern form of black metal and this is a review of their 202o album "Purposeless Through Suffering" which was re-issued in 2024 by Old Temple.

A very fast and raw sound starts off the album along with a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats. Melodies are also added into a lot of the guitar riffing while all of the musical instruments on the recording also have a very powerful sound to them and the vocals are mostly grim sounding black metal screams.

When guitar solos and leads are utilized they are also done in a very melodic style while the songs also add in a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts. Most of the music is rooted in the modern era mixed in with some of the old school aggression along with the music also having its atmospheric moments, clean playing can also be heard briefly.

Popioły plays a style of black metal that is very modern and aggressive sounding. The production sounds very professional while the lyrics are written in a mixture of Polish an d English and cover Apathy, Darkness and Nihilism themes.

In my opinionPopioły are a very great sounding modern and aggressive black metal solo project and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this re-issue. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Spark" "Torn From Void" and "Illusion". 8 out of 10.

https://oldtemple.bandcamp.com/album/popio-y-purposeless-through-meaning

Poland's Hate Them All have returned with a new recording which shows the music going for a very raw, old school and satanic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2024 album "III" which was released by Old Temple.

A very dark and ritualistic sounding intro starts off the album before going into a heavier direction while the songs mix in both 80's and 90's influences. Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams and when the music speeds up a decent amount of blast beats and tremolo picking can be heard which also gives the songs more of a raw feeling.

Some of the riffing also adds in a small amount of melody while the songs also add in a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts. Elements of thrash metal can also be heard at times along with some touches of the first wave era and all of the tracks also avoid the use of any solos and leads and focuses more on a heavier direction.

On this recording Hate Them All brings in elements of thrash metal into their raw, old school and satanic style of black metal. The production sounds very dark and r aw while the lyrics cover Satanism, Goat Worship, Blasphemy and Death themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from hate Them All and if you are a fan of raw, old school and satanic black metal, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Fall" "Trample To Death" "Way To Eternity" and "Screams Of Silence". 8 out of 10.

https://oldtemple.bandcamp.com/album/hate-them-all-iii

This is a review of an older recording from U.S.A's Morbosidad which showed the music going for a mixture of war and bestial black/death metal and the album was originally released in 2008 and called "Profana La Cruz Del Nazareno" and was re-issued in 2024 by Old temple.

Synths and ritualistic spoken word parts start off the album before going into a very fast, raw and brutal war metal direction which also utilizes a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats. Vocals are a mixture of bestial growls and black emtal screams while the music is heavily rooted in the 90's era.

When guitar solos and leads are utilized they are done in a very chaotic style while the songs also add in a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts. Most of the riffing is done on power chords along with most of the songs having an average song length of two and a half minutes with some a little longer or shorter and they also bring in a cover of Sarcofago's "Deathrash".

On this recording Morrbosidad remained to the bestial mixture of war and black/death metal that they had established on previous releases. The production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics are written in Spanish and cover Satanism, Luciferian, Devil Worship. Blasphemy, Darkness and Death themes.

In my opinion this was another great sounding recording from Morbosidad and if you are a fan of war and bestial black/death metal, you should check out this re-issue. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Sangrada Cruz Invertida" "Templo De Lucifer" "Consagracion De Sathanas" and "Morboso Metal". 8 out of 10.

https://oldtemple.bandcamp.com/album/morbosidad-profana-la-cruz-del-nazareno

Australia's Ploughshare have returned with a new recording which shows the music going for an apocalyptic and dissonant mixture of black and death metal and this is a review of their 2024 album "Second Wound" which will be released in November as a joint effort between I, Voidhanger and Brilliant Emperor Records.

A very dark, heavy and dissonant sound starts off the album while the riffs also add in a lot of melody. Vocals are a mixture of black metal screams and death metal growls along with the faster sections of the songs also adding in a decent amount of blast beats and all of the musical instruments also have a very powerful sound to them.

When guitar solos and leads are utilized they also remain true to a dissonant style while the fast riffs also add in a lot of tremolo picking which also gives the music more of a raw feeling. All of the tracks are also very long and epic in length along with the songs also adding in a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts, one song also introduces synths onto the album and as the recording progresses the recording also gets more experimental.

On this recording Ploughshare takes a dissonant form of black metal and mixes it with death metal to create something very different from previous releases. The production sounds very professional while the lyrics are inspired by Julian Of Norwich's "Revelations Of Divine Love".

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Ploughshare and if you are a fan of dissonant black and death metal, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Fall Of All Creatures" and "The Mockery of the Demons". 8 out of 10.

https://www.facebook.com/INDOMITABLEPLOUGHSHARE

Litost are a band from Spain that has been featured before in this zine and plays a very raw and melodic mixture of black, death metal and crust and this is a review of their 2024 album "Ethos" which will be released in October by Blood Fire Death and is a re-recorded version of their 2019 album with the same name.

A very dark yet heavy sound starts off the album while the solos and leads are also done in a very melodic style. All of the musical instruments on the recording also have a very powerful sound to them along with the riffs also adding in a great amount of melody and the vocals are mostly angry sounding black metal screams.

When the music speeds up a great amount of tremolo picking and blast b eats can be heard which also gives the songs more of a raw feeling. Elements of crust are also added into the mid tempo sections of the tracks along while death metal growls are also utilized at times and some tracks also add in a small amount of clear singing.

Throughout the recording you can also hear a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts along with some of the vocals also adding in a melodic touch on a couple of tracks and one song is also a Spanish guitar instrumental. The production sounds very professional while the lyrics suffering, sadness, anger, evolving towards self-knowledge and psychological improvement.

In my opinion this is another great sounding album from Litost and if you are a fan of raw and melodic black, death metal and crust, you should check out this re-recorded version. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Cieno" "Ananoreta" and "Tempesta". 8 out of 10.

https://litostofficial.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LitostMusicVlc

https://www.instagram.com/litost.music/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1DIcK8CQkeWMFhMTWX7vWD?si=d44gyRClQ6SjeErN_R3jzQ&nd=1&dlsi=ab6d6b1d894f464c

https://www.youtube.com/@LitostOficial

Liljevars Brann are a duo from Germany that plays a mystical form of black metal and this is a review of their 2024 album "Helja Kor" which will be released on September 27th, 2024 by Octopus Rising.

Angry shouts start off the album before going into more of a heavier and melodic direction while all of the musical instruments also have a very powerful sound to them. Clear singing can also be heard at times along with some of the tracks also adding in a good amount of acoustic guitars and folk music elements.

Spoken word parts can also be heard in certain sections of the recording while the music also has its experimental and progressive moments. Grim black metal screams are also a very huge part of the album along with the solos and leads also being done in a very melodic style as well as most of the songs also being very long and epic in length anda brief us e of fast playing and blast beats are also added on the closing track

Liljevars Brann plays a style of black metal that is very mystical, progressive and experimental sounding. The production sounds very professional while the lyrics are written in German and cover nature themes.

In my opinion Liljevars Brann are a very great sounding mystical black metal duo and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Helja Kor" and "Brannstjerningen". 8 out of 10.

https://www.facebook.com/ liljevarsbrannofficial/

https://www.instagram.com/ liljevarsbrann/

Destruktor are a band from Australia that plays a mixture of war, black, death and thrash metal and this is a review of their 2024 album "Indomitable" which will be released in October by Hells Headbanger Records.

Whispered voices start off the album before going into a very fast, raw and brutal war metal direction which also utilizes a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats. Vocals are a mixture of bestial death metal growls and black metal screams while melodies are also added into some of the guitar riffing.

A lot of the music is also very heavily rooted in the 90's era mixed in with some modern touches while the songs also add in a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts. All of the musical instruments on the recording also have a very powerful sound to them along with some of the riffs also adding in elements of thrash metal and all of the album also sticks to a heavier direction, chaotic guitar solos and leads can also be heard briefly.

Destruktor plays a musical style that takes war, black, death and thrash metal and mixes them together to create a sound of their own. The production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover Death and Luciferian themes.

In my opinion Destruktor are a very great sounding mixture of war, black, death and thrash metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Speaking With The Dead" "Indomitable" and "The Path To lucifer". 8 out of 10.

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/item.asp?PID=124257

For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?

We formed the band totally unexpectedly after experimenting with many different musical styles during the quarantine period. Between other things, we discovered our common passion for black metal and started writing our own songs. The ideas came one after another and we created a full album.

In July you also released your first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

We wanted a lot to sound as much raw as possible and make sure that we went from relentless, non-stop blast-beats, to rock-like grooves, to Scandinavian bone-chilling sounds, to Greek folk music, in few words vary as much as possible in our record while having a specific narrative. It seems a bit frightening when this is your primal goal, but when you try to compose the best music possible and step-by-step you craft a good record, that inspires you to keep moving.

3.A lot of your lyrics cover 'cultural roots', can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

I am unable to pinpoint exactly the culturality of our lyrics. “Void” expresses just some feelings I had in a social level. Songs “Likno”, “Birth” and “Sea” put together tell the story based on a poem I wrote. Even though I won’t reveal the meaning behind it, I invite everyone to give their own interpretation. “White Wings” is dedicated to the victims of Tempi crash in 2023.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Likno'?

Likno is a greek word meaning “cradle” or “baby’s crib”, but it can also mean “the very starting point of everything”. We always thought that there is great interest behind “where did we come from?”, “How did we come to be?”, “What are we made of?”

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

We have a very talented comic book creator and a good friend Thomas Kefalas, that was our first choice for this job. We sat down and asked him to create a nearly unreadable logo, full of branches. Kind of menacing, but in the same time serene and “earthy”. The photo was shot by a very talented local photographer Dimitris Vavliaras, that mainly shoots impressive landscapes and scenes from the lives of the shepherds. When we saw the picture, we were really impressed by the desolate scenery.

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

Well, that’s kind of an open subject at the time, but if a live performance comes to the table we may reconsider.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

There has been quite a number of offers, everyone will be informed imminently, but right now we still have not signed.

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?

Quite frantic to be honest, in a good way. By the feedback it seems we stayed true to the roots of black metal, but still managed to keep everyone’s interest in high peak. There has been a vivid reaction from Latin America, we listened our music in English and Spanish web radios, some great reviews by Greek and foreign webzines alike. Can’t complain, it was a good start.

Do any of the band members have experience working with other bands or musical projects?

I had some bands over the years performing metal, rock and punk, but black metal was kind of fresh approach for me. Flaegra has a solo synth project that is still active at the time.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Utterly clueless and oblivious right now, but that gives us an exciting feeling that everything’s possible for the future. I will say though that the second album is nearly complete.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We are heavily influenced by the sound of old-school black metal of the 90s. Especially Greek, French and Norwegian bands. However, we are inspired by every kind of music you can imagine. One great influence is the folk music of Greece and balkan countries, that is strongly depicted in our song “Birth”. Nowadays, besides a lot of black metal, we listen to pop, hip hop, drum and bass, psychedelic trance, synthwave, darkwave and many more.

Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thanks a lot for the interest and the interview, keep in mind that we have a bandcamp page and physical copies are imminent. Also like our Facebook page to stay informed. Cheers!

Germany's Haxenzijrkell has returned with a new recording which shows the music going for more of a raw and epic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2024 album "Portal" which will be released in october by Amor Fati Productions.

Synths start off the album before going into a very fast and raw musical direction which also utilizes a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats. All of the tracks are also very long and epic in length Melodies are also added into some of the guitar riffing and the vocals are mostly angry sounding black metal screams.

Throughout the recording you can also hear a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts while some of the music also adds in a small amount of atmospheric touches. Spoken word parts can also be heard on a couple of songs along with all of the musical instruments also having a very powerful sound to them and most of the music is very heavily rooted in the modern era of the genre as well as remaining very traditional at the same time, female vocals are also added on the closing track.

On this recording Haxenijirkell brings out a very raw, ritualistic, epic and atmospheric style of black metal. The production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics Qabalah, Qlipthoth and Western Occultism themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Haxenijirkell and if you are a fan of raw and epic black metal, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Atziluth" and Assiah". 8 out of 10.

www.facebook.com/haexenzijrkell

Norway's Keiser have returned with a new recording which shows the music going for an aggressive form of black metal and this is a review of their 2024 ep "Likfunn" which will be released on September 20th by Non Serviam Records.

Clean playing starts off the ep before going into a heavier direction while both of the tracks are also very long and epic in length. Melodies are also added into some of the guitar riffing along with the faster sections of the songs also adding in a decent amount of blast beats and the vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams.

Growls can also be heard at times while the music also adds in both old school and modern touches. Some of the guitar riffing also shows an influence of thrash metal along with the solos and leads also being done in a very melodic style and the songs also add in a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

When tremolo picking is added into the faster riffing they also give the recording more of a raw feeling as well as clean playing also being added on both tracks and all of the musical instruments also have a very powerful sound to them. The production sounds very professional while the lyrics are written in Norwegian and cover the classic Norwegian poem "Likfunn".

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Keiser and and if you are a fan of aggressive black metal, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACK "LIkfunn". 8 out of 10.

CD:https://www.non-serviam-records.com/collections/atrexial/products/atrexial-the-serpent-abomination-digipak

Digital:https://non-serviam-records.bandcamp.com/album/the-serpent-abomination

www.facebook.com/keisernor

Ignominous are a band from Greece that plays a very raw, ferocious and uncompromising form of black metal and this is a review of their 2024 album "Dawn With No Light" which will be released in october by Vinyl Store.

A very dark sounding intro starts off the album along with a brief use of tortured voiced and synths before going into a heavier direction. When the music speeds up a great amount of tremolo picking and blast beats can be heard which also gives the songs more of a raw feeling and the vocals are mostly angry sounding black metal screams.

All of the musical instruments on the recording also have a very powerful sound to them while the riffs also add in a great amount of melody. The songs also mix in a lot of old school influences mixed in with a more modern take on the genre and the solos and leads are also done in a very melodic style,.

Throughout the album you can also hear a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts along with some growls also being utilized at times. Synths also return on some of the other tracks as well as a couple of songs also adding in a small amount of spoken word parts, all of the musical instruments also have a very powerful sound to them and a couple of tracks also adds in a brief use of clear singing. The production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover Occultism, Thelema, Darkness and Death themes.

In my opinion Ignominous are a very great sounding raw and old school black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Cosmic Spawns Of Death" "Martirium (Ora Pro Nobis)" and "The Dawn With No Light". 8 out of 10.

https://www.instagram.com/ignominous666