AN NCS INTERVIEW: DJEVEL

 Interviews  2 Responses »
Jan 312020
 

 

(This is Karina Noctum‘s interview of T. Ciekals, the principal creative force behind Djevel and NettleCarrier. The focus of the discussion is Djevel, whose most recent album was released last October by Aftermath Records, but the conversation includes news about both bands, as well as a third one, Ritual Death.)

On the occasion of Djevel’s release concert for their latest album called Ormer Til Armer, Maane Til Hode in Oslo, I got to talk to its mastermind T. Ciekals about the particulars behind his musical creations. I think pretty few bands now evoke the Black Metal ambience of the old days in a convincing and natural way like Djevel do. This is one of the reasons I had to include Ormer Til Armer, Maane Til Hode in my year-end list. In this interview there is also some good news not only of Djevel, but of NettleCarrier as well, which is another one of T. Ciekals‘ creations that I consider to be excellent and absolutely recommend to all of you who thirst for dark music. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: ENCOFFINATION

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Jan 302020
 

 

(Comrade Aleks decided to embalm himself in the fluids of true death, interviewing Ghoat of Encoffination, whose latest monstrous album was released last year by Selfmadegod Records.)

Encoffination have provided their post-mortem practices between locations in Atlanta and San Diego for about 12 years. Ghoat (guitars, bass, vocals) and Elektrokutioner (drums) were involved in a crazy number of extreme metal band, and even their approach to death-doom reflects a brutal, macabre, and uncompromising approach.

I appreciate the album titles they have used — Ritual Ascension Beyond Flesh (2010), O’ Hell, Shine in Thy Whited Sepulchres (2011), III – Hear Me, O’ Death (Sing Thou Wretched Choirs) (2014), and now We Proclaim Your Death, O’ Lord (2019). Everything and more was released by Selfmadegod Records… Here’s a fleeting glimpse into the sepulchral world of Encoffination, with Ghoat. Continue reading »

INTERVIEW AND ALBUM STREAM: A SPLIT BY PANOPTICON AND NECHOCHWEN

 Interviews  2 Responses »
Jan 282020
 

 

EDITOR’S NOTE:

On January 31st Bindrune Recordings will release two album-length splits, one by Panopticon and Nechochwen, and the other by Panopticon and Aerial Ruin. Today, Bindrune has made both albums available for streaming, and in addition to presenting streams of both albums we’re also sharing interviews we did with all three bands after we had a chance to spend some time with the music.

In this post we talked with Austin Lunn of Panopticon and Nechochwen about the music on their split. On the Panopticon side, Austin Lunn recorded one very long song (“Rune’s Heart”), and Nechochwen contributed four brand new tracks. I’ve shared some thoughts about the songs by each band in the course of the interview, but in a nutshell this is a powerful album that brilliantly displays the formidable talents of each band, and one that should not be missed.

The split features artwork by Austin Lunn and it’s available for pre-order on vinyl HERE, and digitally HERE.

And now, let’s turn to the interview: Continue reading »

INTERVIEW AND ALBUM STREAM: A SPLIT BY AERIAL RUIN AND PANOPTICON

 Exceptions to the Rule, Interviews  2 Responses »
Jan 282020
 

 

EDITOR’S NOTE:

On January 31st Bindrune Recordings will release two album-length splits, one by Panopticon and Aerial Ruin, and the other by Panopticon and Nechochwen. Today, Bindrune has made both albums available for streaming, and in addition to presenting streams of both albums we’re also sharing interviews we did with all three bands after we had a chance to spend some time with the music.

In this post we talked with Austin Lunn of Panopticon and Erik Moggridge of Aerial Ruin about the music on their split, which is entirely acoustic music that presents a very introspective and personal journey for both musicians. On the Panopticon side, Austin Lunn recorded two original songs and also covered country songs by Blaze Foley and Chris Knight. On the Aerial Ruin side, Erik Moggridge unveils five new original songs.

The album, in a word, is spellbinding. It features artwork by Austin Lunn and is available for pre-order on vinyl HERE, and digitally HERE.

And now, let’s turn to the interview: Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: GRACELESS (REMCO KREFT)

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Jan 272020
 


Photo by: Eva Nagler Photography

 

(Comrade Aleks was fortunate to get this recent interview with Remco Kreft (Soulburn, Bodyfarm) about his OSDM band Graceless, who will be releasing their second album on March 27th through Raw Skull Recordz.)

Created in June 2016, this quite extreme and merciless death doom act consists of two of Soulburn’s members – Remco Kreft (vocals, guitars) and Marc Verhaar — alongside Björn Knäckebröd (guitars) and Jasper Aptroot who gained experience in local brutal acts like Celesterre, Nailgun Massacre, and Xenomorph. Since Graceless’ founding they have stay focused, bitter and angry.

The band’s sophomore album Where Vultures Know Your Name will see the light of day through Raw Skull Recordz on March 27th, 2020. I consider myself a lucky guy, as I’ve already heard this Armageddon-evoking album, which surpasses their debut work Shadowlands (Raw Skull Recordz, 2017). And moreover, I was lucky enough to get in contact with Remco and learn more about Graceless’ dark truths. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: ROTTENDAWN

 Interviews  No Responses »
Jan 202020
 

 

(Comrade Aleks has brought us this interview with Make Mäkinen, one of the guitarists and songwriters of the Finnish band Rottendawn. whose debut album is out now on the Saturnal Records label.)

Even though Rottendawn was lit in 2010, their first album Occult saw the light of day in September 2019 on Helsinki-based Saturnal Records. This death-doom band’s lineup is highly remarkable, but I have an impression that they don’t care about promotion too much. So you should know what Rottendawn is a brainchild of Pasi Äijö from Unholy (bass, vocals), Mikael “Arkki” Arnkil of Impaled Nazarene (drums), Sinisthra’s Make Mäkinen (guitars), and Joni Halmetoja (guitars) from… from… I don’t know where he came from. Why not find it out? I

welcome all fans of things heavy, distorted, and slow to join us in this compact and informative interview with Make Mäkinen. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: KURB SAATUS

 Interviews  1 Response »
Jan 132020
 

 

(In this interview conducted last year Comrade Aleks spoke with Eric Buizert, vocalist/bassist of the doom Dutch melodic death metal band Kurb Saatus, who first came to life in the ’90s and released their debut album in 2019.)

Kurb Saatus from the Netherlands celebrated their 25th anniversary last year with the release of… their debut full-length album!

Yes, I’m not kidding, this outfit who perform melodic death with minor doomy elements was formed back in 1994 but there were only a split with Officium Triste (1996), the single Never Forgotten, and a bunch of demos in their discography until May 2019 when The Withering was released. There are two members from the original lineup in Kurb Saatus — Hans van Wingerden (drums) and Eric Buizert (vocals, bass). So Eric is here! Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: EPITAPHE

 Interviews  1 Response »
Jan 082020
 

 

(Epitaphe is a quartet based in the French Alps, with a debut album released last June, and today Comrade Aleks brings us this discussion with one of its members.)

Aesthetic Death produced a curious volume last summer. I’m referring to the debut full-length of the French band Epitaphe, which is based in the Alps region. They confirm such influences as Incantation, Esoteric, and Immolation, but I would add Misanthrope to this short list too.

It turns out to be an eclectic, avant-garde combination of quite intellectual death metal with doom-death shades. The album is titled simply I, but it’s wrong to blame Epitaphe for a lack of imagination. We’ll try to prove it together with Laurent. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: BESTIALORD

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Jan 062020
 

 

(We present Comrade Aleks‘ interview of Mark Anderson, guitarist/vocalist of the Kansas-based death/doom band Bestialord, whose second album was released last June by GrimmDistribution.)

It’s said that Bestialord raised its head in 2016, but when you see Mark Anderson (guitars, vocals) and Chris Johnson (drums) in the same band, Sanctus Infernum comes to mind. It’s their previous blackened death doom outfit, which seems to have beem put on hold in about 2014 after eight years of darkness, blasphemy, and death. So Mark and Chris, alongside Rob Harris, started this new project, and look — GrimmDistribution released Bestialord’s sophomore record a few months ago. The Black Mass Wedding album still displays a few Sanctus Infernum features, but it has its own individuality as well. Let’s make it clear with Mark. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: KVAEN

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Jan 032020
 

 

(Our Norway-based contributor Karina Noctum brings us the following Q&A she had with Jakob Björnfot, the man behind the Swedish black metal band Kvaen, whose debut album is set for release on February 28th by Black Lion Records.)

The Funeral Pyre, the debut album from Swedish melodic pagan black metal unit Kvaen, is slated to drop on February 28, 2020, through Black Lion Records. No Clean Singing hosted (here) the premiere stream of the album’s title track. Clocking in at nearly 7 minutes of relentless exhilaration, the track features a guest guitar solo by Sebastian Ramstedt (Necrophobic, Nominon) and drums by Freddy Ortscheid (Black Lily, Omnicide).

Adds Jakob Björnfot, the sole mastermind behind Kvaen: “’The Funeral Pyre’ was one of the first songs that I composed for this album. I lived in a big house on a huge mountain in the VERY north of Sweden. I had nature around me everyday. It was very inspiring, to say the least. One day, I was messing around on my computer, trying out ideas. I remember that I had the fireplace burning and it was snowing outside. I wanted to write a song where I could feel the connection of spirits in Tornevalley and I have to say: I succeeded. The atmosphere, Sebastian’s solo, and the lyrics became something truly unique.”

I put more questions to Jakob: Continue reading »

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