The collective of renowned musicians from Norway’s west coast known as WHISPERING VOID is releasing the single ‘Vinden vier’ (‘The Wind Sanctifies’) that features ABBATH guitarist Ole André Farstad. The track is taken from their forthcoming debut album At the Sound of the Heart, which has been chalked up for release on October 18, 2024.
Hear ‘Vinden Vier’ here:
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WHISPERING VOID comment: “This song began to form when I repeated the words ‘Vinden vier’, which is kind of a play on words”, vocalist Kristian Espedal explains. “This can mean ‘The Wind Sanctifies’ but it can also be read as: ‘The Wind Unites’. As the lyrical loop goes on, it also becomes ‘Vi er vinden’, which means ‘We Are the Wind’. Then Lindy added her wonderful vocals in a 70s or even 60s style. At first, she just sang the ghost vocals, but once we had set the lyrics for the song, she also gave her voice to them. We all felt that this song also needed more of an Eastern energy, which is the very reason as to why we invited Ole André Farstad to play guzheng and Indian slide-guitar. This has added even more of that late 60s vibe to the song and I really like the result.”
I tend to give releases a wide berth if there’s anything that could be construed as iffy about them or the artist or anyone else involved, not because I’m fearful of controversy, but simply feel it better not to provide a platform. Of course, some will argue that silence is tantamount to complicity – and I’m painfully aware of the extent to which that it’s true that many bad things happen while no-one speaks out. But I like to think that overall, my positions on matters of politics and beyond are fairly obvious on account of what I do cover, and some of the discussions around them, and I’m not about to virtue-signal with a list of releases by abusers and shady shits which have landed in my inbox to be immediately deleted.
But this one stood out. I sift through emails and divide them into ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘maybe’ for review, and have a separate flow for those that I’ll likely not have time or energy to review, but might be posting as a stream.
I’d never heard of Nachtmystium, but was intrigued to learn that they were back, although the tone of the press release struck me as a little different, more muted, perhaps: ‘…after all that was said and done, mastermind Blake Judd aka Azentrius is still standing. Not only that, but Judd has clawed himself back from the abyss of a most extreme life imaginable to a much more quiet, observant, and matured artist and person… His return will not be met with universal applause – even from the black metal scene. For anybody following the tumultuous career of Blake Judd and his pioneering band that has pushed the borders of their genre into new territories, this comes hardly as a surprise.’
But the video… on first play, I figured it was perhaps a Day Today or Brasseye type spoof, or that Nachtmystium was the Bad News or Spinal Tap of Black Metal. But no. Comparatively cursory research reveals Blake Judd’s long history of junkiedom, thieving, scamming, fraud, and unpaid bills, not to mention connections to the National Socialist Black Metal scene – something Judd is on record as renouncing and denying direct involvement with, but saying ‘We don’t oppose people’s right to be ‘NS’ or whatever… Even though I personally, my band(s) and my label have absolutely no interest in being a part of that scene, I will ALWAYS take their side when it comes to their freedom of speech being imposed upon.”
Freedom of speech has become a battle ground like no other in recent years , and thanks to social media, it’s a debate that’s taken the ugliest, most divisive of shapes, largely splitting along lines of left and right, with the left calling out fascists and twats, with the right calling the left fascists and twats for wanting to suppress their right to be fascists and twats. But, just as opposing Antifa is, effectively to align oneself as being Profa, to say ‘hey, free speech, it’s their right to be nazis’ is not only spineless, but a tacit statement in support of the nazis, even if it’s one born out of ignorance of just how much harm their ‘free speech’ can cause – and I find it hard to believe any adult could truly be that ignorant nowadays.
So, to return to the video… it contains some stills of the man himself, treated with grainy effects overlayed, with some lyrics flashed up, flickering, as the main focus of the visuals to what is, in real terms, some pretty standard black metal. But throughout, presented as ‘cuttings’, snippets of comments from social media and various other sources, essentially decrying what a deplorable scumbag he is.
It seems perverse that while he’s growling about ‘the return of a rightful might’, there are comments to the effect of ‘fuck this guy’ and ‘he owes me so much money’ to ‘good luck, Prophecy’. And against snippets reporting on his jail time and drug addiction, he snarls ‘No remorse, no remorse’.
Prophecy is a label which has released countless fantastic acts, and continues to do so, but I can’t help but feel that this is something of a mis-step – not even releasing new work by Nachtmystium, necessarily, but the pitch may be rather misjudged. These aren’t a few ‘oops’ moments – which should be approached apologetically even if they were – but to market the release in a way which celebrates all of this? Even if intended humorously – which there’s nothing to indicate that it is – it’s not very funny for the victims of his wrongdoings. And yes, they are victims, however desperate his drug plight or whatever at the time.
Musically, ‘Predator Phoenix’ is fine, and although the title seems both dubious and self-aggrandising, it’s par for the course in black metal. But the way this comeback is being heralded… not cool, man, not cool.
The collective of renowned musicians from Norway’s west coast henceforth known as WHISPERING VOID is releasing their first ever video single ‘Vi finnes’ (‘We Exist’) taken from their forthcoming debut full-length At the Sound of the Heart. The album has been slated for release on October 18, 2024.
Watch the video here:
WHISPERING VOID comment: “The main lyrics in this song are in Norwegian, more specifically in an Eastern dialect of Norwegian, and this creates a slippery and almost untrustworthy character”, vocalist Kristian Espedal writes. “The title, ‘Vi finnes’ means ‘we exist’, but the lyrics are about us never existing. The words are about the morning, which is an opportunity, and about the hours, which are the repetition of everything that happens all the time but is never the same. There is much hopefulness in this song, and at the end even a bit of suffering. When the lyrics move into English, they steer into a different direction. Ferrucio came up with the idea for the video. The lady in this film is observing life from the past. I like the very subtle connection to the lyrics.”
Lindy-Fay Hella adds: “I love the vibe of the video”, the vocalist enthuses. “I like that there is a connection with the song’s lyrics, but it also adds a new dimension to it. The haunted house in this video is situated in my neighbourhood and the lady in the video is one of my best friends. She really fits this song. I feel somewhat reminded of the fairy tale ‘Goldielocks and the Three Bears’.”
TRELLDOM drop ‘Exit Existence’ as the next single taken from the legendary Norwegians’ forthcoming new full-length: …by the shadows… has been scheduled for release on September 13
TRELLDOM do neither comment on their music nor explain their art.
Finnish black metal act HEXVESSEL have set their signatures under a multi-album deal with Prophecy Productions.
HEXVESSEL will release their seventh studio full-length via the label and have already been confirmed for this year’s edition of Prophecy Fest.
HEXVESSEL comment: “I am a fiercely independent minded artist and Hexvessel has its own sound, ideology and spiritual path”, vocalist and guitarist Mat ‘Kvohst’ McNerney explains. “I wanted a label that would respect, care for and nurture that wild art spirit. I have known and been friends with Martin Koller, Stefan Belda, and Prophecy for many years. We go back to the origin of Hexvessel and our first live shows abroad and they have always supported my work. I felt we would always be destined to work together in a creative aspect and I am proud to now come under the banner of a label that stands for true beauty in art and creative music.”
Prophecy Productions state: “We are all thrilled to welcome a long-time friend and outstanding artist such as Mat McNerney and Hexvessel to our roster”, the label’s founder Martin Koller writes. “Hexvessel are in many regards the perfect fit for Prophecy Productions as their highly individualistic and ever evolving music is exciting as hard to pin down and limit to only one genre.”
Listen here:
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HEXVESSEL comment on the digital single: “I actually started writing ‘Under The Lake’ as the first song for our return to black metal before the other parts of Polar Veil took shape”, mastermind Mat McNerney reveals. “Although it was always a favourite of mine, ‘Under the Lake’ still remained unfinished. This was partly due to the fact that its theme was neither polar nor set in wintertime, which meant that the song did not sit well with the rest of the album. Instead ‘Under the Lake’ is about summer hikes into the secluded and remote deep fell areas where you will find bottomless clear lakes or ‘saivo’. In Sámi beliefs, saivos (sáiva) were thought to be homes to the deceased as well as various spirits and deities. The Sámi word sáiva was used to refer to a holy lake or fell, and the spirits residing in it. It could also denote a dwelling of the deceased or anything sacred; depending on the context. A saivo, like our own world, was usually believed to exist beyond a hole at the bottom of a lake, with another identical lake upside down. To me, this is a perfect metaphor for looking at the world. There is a deeper meaning out there, if you look hard enough. ‘Under the Lake’… there is another lake. I am glad that this personal favourite of mine finally comes to see the light of day. It happens in the preternatural summer in which we announce our pact with Prophecy!”
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VUUR & ZIJDE (‘Fire & Silk’) reveal the closing track ‘Naakt’ (‘Naked’) as the final advance single taken from the Dutch blackened post-punk outfit’s debut full-length Boezem (Bosom), which has been set for release on July 12, 2024.
VUUR & ZIJDE comment on ‘Naakt’: "In finality, the sorrow is laid bare, and its nakedness is shrouded in cosmic fragility", vocalist Famke writes in psychological riddles. "Steadily waltzing into a conflagration, dissonance creeps in and opens the gateway towards the light – sharing your burden of grief."
Listen to ‘Naakt’ here:
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Love and heavy metal have always had a somewhat strained relationship as the former is at least nominally topic number 1 in pop music. It becomes even more complicated when black metal is involved, a genre in which hate is a major ingredient as much as blues musicians must have felt utter sadness.
This observation makes Boezem, the debut full-length of Dutch quintet VUUR & ZIJDE ("Fire & Silk") the more remarkable as the album revolves around themes of conditional and unconditional love – and the difference between those, the liberation of intimacy, and motherhood. This album politely abstains from going through the motions of tedious heavy metal clichés.
It might help that although the Dutch have deep roots in black metal and the five have been or still are members in such established bands as LASTER, NUSQUAMA, SILVER KNIFE, GREY AURA, WITTE WIEVEN, and TERZIJ DE HORDE, they have stylistically shifted from their 2020 split-album with IMPAVIDA in the meantime. Having grown from a trio to a 5-piece formation has brought a wider range of influences and ideas to the table. The changes are subtle but enough to locate a part of their sound in the evolving and exciting realms of post-black metal.
The black side of the music is mainly expressed through whirling drum attacks and buzzing guitar riffs. Yet there is a second strong pillar on which Boezem rests, as bands that started out as post-punk acts and developed into more dreamy, meditative sounds such as COCTEAU TWINS and even DEAD CAN DANCE are also named as a source of inspiration. And for the record, at least KILLING JOKE made the topic acceptable in the post-punk scene with their classic ‘Love Like Blood’. Synthesizer sounds and the beautiful voice of singer Famke naturally contribute to that side of VUUR & ZIJDE.
The vocalist is also responsible for various lyrics penned in Frysk (Frisian). The Frisian name and language go back to a North Sea Germanic tribe and survived through the middle ages. Today, the Frisian is still spoken in a few Dutch and German areas along the coast up to the Danish border. The other lyrics are written in Dutch.
With Boezem, VUUR & ZIJDE achieve a perfect balance between their contradictory poles. The aggressive side with elements of black metal that have been transformed into post-black metal contrasts with the light side of shoegaze, post-punk, and wave. Both are entwined in an endless dance that creates fascinating new music, which is at the same beautiful and yet full of thorns – just like a black rose.
CAMERATA MEDIOLANENSE unveil the occult video clip ‘Hermaphroditus’ as the second single taken from the Italian ensemble’s forthcoming new album Atalanta Fugiens ("Atalante Fleeing"), which is based on an enigmatic alchemist tome and slated for release on June 14, 2024.
Watch the video, directed by Alan Factotum and Carmen Onophrii, here:
CAMERATA MEDIOLANENSE comment: "The song ‘Hermaphroditus’ is based on the thirty-third emblem of the treatise ‘Atalanta Fugiens’ written by the German alchemist Michael Maier and released in 1617", composer, multi-instrumentalist, and choir vocalist Elena Previdi reveals. "The Hermaphrodite, also called rebis (‘double thing’), is the fruit of a chemical marriage between opposites: the masculine and the feminine, naturally, but also the sun and the moon, hot and cold, blood and milk, gold and silver, or even, as in this passage, sulfur and mercury. The Hermaphrodite therefore represents divine perfection, which is achieved at the cost of unspeakable suffering that underlies the process of transformation of derangement into stillness, and that underlies the conflict between delirium and reason. Musically, a timeless voice starts the tormented alchemical process generated by the two choirs and the two harpsichords. The direction of the music is clear and neat, but at the end the funeral march of the horns makes its way. "
Avant-garde green metal outfit BOTANIST conclude the sowing of new singles with the track ‘Royal Protea’, which is taken from the forthcoming album Paleobotany that will begin to bloom in shops on May 17, 2024.
The ancestors of the flowing plant family of Protea evolved about 75–80 million years ago on the supercontinent of Gondwanaland, which covered most of the southern hemisphere. Due to the continental drift of earth’s tectonic plates, Gondwana separated into smaller parts that form today’s southern continents. In present times, Protea are mainly found in the area of South Africa. Its largest species, the self-fertilising Protea cynaroides, which is also called Giant Protea and King Sugar Bush is the country’s national plant.
Listen to ‘Royal Protea’ here:
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On their twelfth full-length Paleobotany, BOTANIST take us back more than 70 million years to a time when dinosaurs ruled the planet and early forests began to turn to coal. Before the age of giants ended in flames with the apocalyptic impact of the Chicxulub asteroid, some families of plants that still have descendants today also grew much larger.
Paleobotany comes with all the trademark characteristics that set BOTANIST apart from all other metal acts on this planet. Lyrically, the band from San Francisco, CA revolves around species of plants – in a clean break from the usual genre stereotypes like Satan, dragons, and booze. Their music clearly has its foundation anchored in ‘metal’, but instead of 6-string guitars the Americans use 110-string hammered dulcimers. To the confused horror of traditionalists, BOTANIST fit these percussion-stringed folk instruments with magnetic pickups and distort them through various perverse means that range from amplifiers via analogue tape to digital manipulation. The resulting sound is as unique as spectacular.
KINIT HER release an image-rich nocturnal flight of fancy that becomes manifest in their second video clip ‘On the Bridge of Dreams’ taken from the American symbolist post-folk collective’s forthcoming new album The Nature Out There, which is slated for release on December 15, 2023.
Watch the video here:
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KINIT HER comment: “The words at the end of ‘On the Bridge of Dreams’ are a sampled quote from the Perennialist philosopher Frithjof Schuon”, vocalist and electronic sound-designer Nathaniel Ritter explains. “He states: ‘It’s not enough to think about metaphysics, one wants to also to see and to hear metaphysics in visible forms… and this is symbolism, and symbolism coincides with beauty. Symbolism, yes?’. ‘On the Bridge of Dreams’ is a heartfelt affirmative response to this question. Call forth your mirror, draw the spark, and begin again.”
LASTER celebrate today’s release on Friday, October 13 of the their new album Andermans Mijne with a video clip for the title track. The stunning new full-length from the Dutch avant-garde metal trio is now also streaming in full on all relevant platforms.
Watch the video here:
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LASTER commented on the title track: “With our new single ‘Andermans Mijne’ we seek to reaffirm our love for twists and turns”, drummer Wessel explained on behalf of the trio and went on to state: “The title track sets a densely layered, hypnotic tone for what is to come. Both halves of the song teasingly object against the listener’s expectation. Expressions of cross-cultural lifestyles in late modernity, adultery, playful innuendos, and the self-other relation per se are deemed as central themes of the music’s dissonance, which become laid bare on this track.”
Aural Aggravation 