AN NCS INTERVIEW: FVNERAL FVKK

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Oct 222026
 

(At the beginning of this week we hosted the exclusive premiere of one of the year’s best albums, Indecent Idols, by the German epic doom band Fvneral Fvkk. And now, on the day before its release by Dying Victims Productions, we present our Comrade Aleks’ interview with two of the band’s members.)

The first full-length album from the German epic doom brethren Fvneral Fvkk was released in 2019 via Solitude Productions. On their debut, Carnal Confession, the four-piece — whose members are also largely active in the Hamburg-based death-doom outfit Ophis — tackled the issue of child abuse by representatives of the Catholic Church. Fvneral Fvkk emphasized that they are not an anti-Christian band; they do not critique Christian dogma or faith as a whole, but rather specific manifestations of the Church as an institution.

Given this approach, doom metal — a genre arguably closer to liturgical or ceremonial music than to extreme metal — was chosen as the most fitting vehicle for critiquing the Church’s documented crimes. While the band’s name itself embodies a form of dark satire, their follow-up, Indecent Idols, continues and further develops the melodic richness and solemn emotional depth of the debut.

I approached Fvneral Fvkk for guidance, and Decanus Obscaenus (guitars) alongside Cantor Cinaedicus (vocals) answered my call. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: MIRROR OF DECEPTION

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Oct 122026
 

(In the spring of this year the long-running German traditional doom band Mirror of Deception released a new album named Transience, and our Comrade Aleks reached out to the band to discuss it. That led to the following extensive and very interesting interview with guitarist Jochen Fopp. And yes, the music here is a well-earned exception to the “command” in our site’s name.)

Earlier this year traditional doom metal veterans Mirror of Deception from Göppingen, Germany, made one more statement with their sixth album, Transience. Having spent over 35 (!) years in the metal underground, the band seemed to pass the peak of its fame—which occurred in the mid-2000s, a time when the band’s members were not only releasing albums but also organizing the Doom Shall Rise festival, an event which was important for the genre establishment. Yet, as the years roll by, Mirror of Deception maintains both its reputation and its excellent creative form.

I love this band, but I didn’t expect to say this: Transience sounds not merely viable—it is a strong, authentic album with superb dramatic pacing. The group has channeled all its strengths into the new record; the rich, massive riffs are complemented by Michael Siffermann’s noble clean vocals and captivating, languid melodies. And incidentally, only Michael and guitarist Jochen Fopp remain from the original lineup.

Even early in their career, the band avoided affectation; their “exercises in sorrow” are executed with dignity and come across as natural and authentic. The forty-five-minute Transience comprises seven tracks—a choice that strikes me as a deliberate decision to avoid overwhelming the listener or repeating themselves. Transience offers the comforting familiarity of doom metal exactly as it should be, and we got in touch with Jochen in order to spread a word of Transience and clarify a few things about this album. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: FLESHCRAWL

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Sep 252026
 


Photo Credit: Christian Sobeck

(The lineage of the German death metal band Fleshcrawl is a long one, with its founding dating back to 1987, but the band persists — their new album Epitome of Carnage was released last June. Our Comrade Aleks interviewed Fleshcrawl guitarist Apu Justin Reisch close to that release date for another publication, and we present it here for the first time in English.)

In 2027, the ferocious Bavarian death metal outfit Fleshcrawl will turn 40! Naturally, the lineup has undergone numerous changes over the years; and only the drummer (and backing vocalist) Bastian Herzog represents nowadays the band’s original lineup, which makes the situation surrounding their new release, Epitome of Carnage, all the more intriguing.

Vocalist Sven Gross had been a long-standing member of the band as well, but he lost his battle with cancer tragically in 2021. Since that year Boris “The Savage” Sharafudinov performs vocals, while guitarists Christian Kalbrecht and Apu Justin Reisch joined Fleshcrawl one year earlier in 2020. And it’s good to mention bassist Manuel Markowski, who has been on board already for 15 years.

So given such turnover, it is remarkable that the group has managed to revive and faithfully capture the spirit of the original Fleshcrawl—complete with its old-school charm, massive, churning power, and infernal delivery. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: ILLWIND

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Sep 172026
 

(This past July Personal Records released a fine debut album [for which we did a premiere] by the Peruvian band Illwind, whose lineup was forged from members of some top South American bands such as Reino Ermitaño, Cobra, Arcada, and Argul. The album provided the impetus for our Comrade Aleks to re-connect with Illwind’s Marcos Koifman, and that produced the following excellent interview with him.)

About 10-15 years ago, the Peruvian band Reino Ermitaño was well-known to doom metal fans. The aesthetics of shamanic rituals, textured riffs, subtle psychedelia, bassist Marcos Koifman’s expressive artwork, and Tanya Duarte’s vocals among other features set the band apart from their contemporaries. Reino Ermitaño was disbanded, and its members joined new outfits, yet Marcos Koifman made his manifest only now with the new doom-act Illwind.

From the ten-minute heroic doom metal anthem “Crimson Skies”, and the down-to-earth “Wanderer” or “Portal,” to the droning stoner-armored “God of Sleep” and the hypnotic “Lucifer’s Mule”, Illwind proves their intention to make something special and refreshing for the underground Doom Cult. It was a proper reason to interview Marcos, as Illwind’s debut album The Unfolding at the End of Light did not go unnoticed for both NCS co-writers and dedicated readers.

Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: DEAD KOSMONAUT

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Sep 112026
 

(In June of this year Edged Circle Productions released a new album by the Swedish heavy metal band Dead Kosmonaut, and that led to the following extensive interview by our Comrade Aleks of the band’s founder and songwriter Mattias Reinholdsson.)

This Swedish heavy metal band, officially formed almost twenty years ago by bassist Mattias Reinholdsson, now boasts not only its third album but also a still-stellar lineup. In addition to Mattias’s Book of Hours buddy Henrik Johansson (drums), Dead Kosmonaut features vocalist Per Hellbutcher (Hellbutcher, Nifelheim), as well as guitarists Fredrik Folkare (Unleashed) and Peter Hallgren (Sorcerer).

Such a lineup could offer listeners a brutally extreme experience, but instead, these gentlemen deliver the same melodic, classic metal. The sound of their new album Retrospectre is heavy and clear, not overly cluttered, and the production, entrusted to Fredrik, was oriented toward the ’80s, although these tracks lack the retro-vibe. Despite the artwork and the title, Dead Kosmonaut are not only alive, but kicking ass, and Mattias is here to tell how it’s possible. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: BOCC

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Sep 082026
 

(Comrade Aleks has brought us a very good interview with guitarist/vocalist Emilio from the Catalan death/doom metal band Bocc, whose new album Demolarium will be released in just a few days by Night Terrors Records.)

While all members of the Barcelona trio Bocc had previously gravitated toward different sorts of extreme metal (some dabble in sludge, others in death metal), in 2019 they came together in a single, pernicious fervor and gave birth to a blood-soaked death-doom monstrosity.

You can tell from the cover of their second full-length album, Demolarium: the Catalans eschew the sentimentality of melodramatic doom, embracing its uncompromising, destructive, yet musically savvy expression instead. Bocc would be a good match for bands like Autopsy, Cianide, and Coffins, if you’re looking for references, but their sludge-laden, uncompromising base and vitriolic aggression adds variety to the sound.

This fact might be considered curious, given the brutal roar of Bocc’s frontman, but the lyrics are written in Catalan, and their themes are historical, mythical, and folkloric. The vocal delivery negates this merit – the lyrics are impossible to decipher. And that’s one of a few reasons why we got in touch with the band. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: CARDINALS FOLLY

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Sep 012026
 


photo by Tomi Mäenpää

(On October 9th Cruz Del Sur Music will release Let the Posers Fall!, a new album by the Finnish doom band Cardinals Folly. This provided an occasion for our Comrade Aleks to re-connect with the band for an extensive new interview with Mikko Kääriainen that we present below.)

A band like Cardinals Folly can afford to title their albums in such a brazenly provocative manner…  Such Power Is Dangerous! Our Cult Continues! This Is No Church! And this time Let the Posers Fall!. This is the Finnish doom masters’ seventh full-length release in nearly twenty years, and the band, led by vocalist and bassist Mikko Kääriainen, excels not only in the studio but also on tour. Mikko, albeit with a varied lineup, has not only conquered Europe but also made it to the US, which, given the lack of major label support, is an achievement in itself.

Incidentally, thanks to touring, the Cardinals Folly lineup almost broke up, and Mikko recorded new material with Joni Takkunen, who drummed in the band for 12 years, and Tuomo “Space Doom” Kosonen, guitarist of Pohjoinen. Considering Mikko’s stubbornness and obsession with his creation, I’m not surprised that these changes haven’t affected the new album’s quality. Let The Posers Fall! is a blast, and there’s some truth to the pathos of the joke in the title.

Cardinals Folly are still as good at everything related to jaunty trad-doom and solid heavy metal, and their songs seem to have even more of the latter. Here’s our traditional interview with Mikko, and it’s traditionally good. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: TODOMAL

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Aug 242026
 

(Earlier this year our Comrade Aleks interviewed Javier Fernández Milla, one of the two members of the Spanish doom metal band TodoMal. Today we present an English translation of that very good discussion. TodoMal’s newest album Graveyards of Joy was released on July 3rd by Season of Mist, and we reviewed it, along with their two previous albums, here.)

We simply couldn’t ignore the third album by the Spanish band TodoMal, Graveyards of Joy. While their second release, A Greater Good, clearly showcased innovative, luxurious doom metal with the global cinematic backdrop and emotional vibe of Anathema in the late ’90s, today the band’s founders Javier Fernández Milla and Christopher B. Wildman have taken a step beyond that. TodoMal’s new material sets a new standard for melodic, still-heavy doom music, laced with a genuine sadness and an ineradicable humanity.

What is this doom with a human face about? I believe Javier will answer that question, too. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: LACHRIMA CORPHUS DISSOLVENS

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Aug 072026
 

(Here we have Comrade Aleks’ interview of Antonio Ortiz from the Bolivian doom metal band Lachrima Corphus Dissolvens, whose latest album was released this past April.)

Lachrima Corphus Dissolvens is the rare (or only?!) representative of death-doom metal in Bolivia. Being founded in La Paz in 2003 by Antonio Ortiz (vocals) and Beyson Gibson (guitars) with a bunch of friends who soon left the band, it remains still active, although there are only two full-length albums in its discography.

Yes, the new piece Where Shadows Speak and Time Weeps is only the second big work of Lachrima Corphus Dissolvens, but a dozen of singles, EPs, splits, and compilations show that the men didn’t waste their time carrying the torch of Ruinous Powers. I interviewed Antonio earlier in July, so you can make an impression of what Lachrima Corphus Dissolvens is from this interview. Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: PSICORRAGIA

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Jul 242026
 

(In June of this year the Peruvian band Psicorragia released their third album. We had the pleasure of premiering a video for one of its great songs, and today we take pleasure in presenting Comrade Aleks’ excellent discussion with Psicorragia’s Mario Romanet.)

Peruvian death-doom band Psicorragia, led by bassist and vocalist Mario Romanet, has been together since 1994. Their first full-length album, La pasion de lo mortal, was released in 2001, and this year saw the release of their third major effort, Nekromanthra. Although nine years ago, the band had eight tracks in the works for their third full-length, the final release included only six songs, totaling 45 minutes. Yet there’s no need to worry; it’s absolutely a full-length recording and Psicorragia delivered professional and powerful material, effectively serving as the best work of their career.

The very first track, “Y sus plagas invocaron,” showcases their wide range of influences, from death metal to eldritch death-doom. The composition repeatedly shifts its mood from hostilely aggressive to detached melancholy and back again, the ascetic guitar sound offset by keyboard arrangements that take on the form of sublime orchestrations and mournful violin dirges.

Psicorragia tend to blend these two styles and, relying on their instincts, combine both approaches, but, for example, “Lo inexorable” embodies that very classic “death-doom with violin” from the ’90s that has become a brand in itself. The final track, “Nekromanthra,” concludes the album with grueling, drawn-out funereal doom, presented in an ominous, tormented, and almost ceremonial manner.

Mario Romanet answered a few questions recently, so I invite you to read this interview and join the macabre world of Psicorragia. Continue reading »

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