Total Darkness #2

Total Darkness Magazine, issue 2 (1995)
Interviews:
Zephyrous
Behemoth
Blessed In Sin
In the Woods...
Funeral Winds
Occult
Blasphemer
Tha-Norr
Manes
Primordial
Bethlehem
Morphosis
Kane
Summoning
December Moon
Misanthropy Records
Ashen Mortality
Deprived 'zine
Adversary
Thy Serpent
Hades
Articles:
"Oderint Dum Metuant" by Wiking Herske
Bestial Summoning/Occult bio
"A Blaze in the Northern Sky" by Wiking Herske
"Diabolism/Satanism" by Bard Nocturnus
"The Truth in Thy Blood" by Taoiseach O'Malley
"Up from the Ashes" by Svarte Sirkel
Ancient
Carnun
"Black Metal Holocaust" by Bard Nocturnus
+ editorial, reviews, gig reports

Mega

Alright, as promised here's something before Nummirock to where I will be departing Thursday morning. A 'zine post, which is actually exactly the same thing I did last midsummer! Damn it, patterns woven around me ensnaring me in a devious web of my own making! No time for paranoia, or very long introductions either to be frank so let's get to business; second issue of Irish Total Darkness "magazine" which is way too grandiose a monicker for a messy fanzine xeroxed in sloppy manner. But that makes it, despite being a bit hard to read, a good 'zine. Very large scans were done by and sent to me by comrade thenecromancer, thank you for your efforts and donation!

This was an A5 sized 'zine and counting the covers features 74 pages (one spread is included twice as the other page turned out unreadable on the first try) crammed quite full of stuff by its editors Bard Nocturnus (of Carnun and Abhor ...not exactly fame but some will recognize the names, later vox for Myrkr as Vordr), Damien Looney (also of Carnun) and a fellow known as Fitzy. By the way, assuming the Abhor is the same as M-A one, I'd like to hear the "Abyss" demo listed there. The line-up does not seem to include our editor though. Oh no I'm starting to digress yet again and I was supposed to keep this short! Right, black metal 'zine, some death, doom and a random industrial unit (Kane) featured and despite including a couple of VERY common names (Behemoth being the worst offender here, followed by Sigh, Burzum and In the Woods...) they have, as if to balance out, some rare appearances like my old favourite Tha-Norr and Israeli Adversary. Excellent. Note that the lads, or more like the Carnun pair, were Varg-cronies so "all Total Darkness issues are in respectful dedication to Varg Vikernes" and feature plenty of "Cymophane" propaganda and so on. This is obviously a strike against if you're an old Euronymous-Jugend like me. But the past is gone so let's not dwell on that and just enjoy it. And I'm ready to overlook a lot when I encounter another Tha-Norr enthusiast. Props for also being one of the rare places where I spot comrade Veiko's old band! Recommended reading but mind you, the scans are enormous so it's a sizeable package to download.

Clayforge - Kult Release demo '98

Clayforge - Kult Release demo I 1998
1) Le Acteur de la Mort
2) Nightblade
3) Hell Parade
4) Blood Opera
5) The Flesh I Eat

Yandex / Sampo

Settling into a pattern here if I'm not careful, here's again a Finnish demo to follow Aussie madness and slightly similar actually to the previous one, though where Grimm's Journey was Swedish-tinged melodeath Clayforge, better(?) known as Murder In Art, plays what I guess is best described as death'n'roll. You know, groovy and rockin' sort of melodeath variation, think Entombed after "Wolverine Blues" as the probably easiest example. Well, quite a few death metal bands actually went and wimped out this way now that you think back. This is ripped from an original tape that was in the bag of cassettes brother Pörrö bestowed upon be the other year. Thanks mate and see you on Thursday!

Being made from an original, cover scans are naturally enclosed, as is a scan of the Murder In Art biosheet that was included with the demo when my comrade got it. Recorded at Kansashouse-studios, which some of you may remember from various Morningstar recordings, this has a pretty good kind of full demo sound, reasonably well balanced without being too polished. All five tracks are leaning to the compact radio-friendly pop song length, circling around the three minute running time each. I don't know if it's the summer or whatever but I seem to be enjoying this now much more than last time I checked it out, or the style in general. Perhaps I should give the MIA album a listen too. Give it a listen if you're into this kind of stuff at all. Otherwise wait for hopefully another post before this year's Nummirock.

Chaotic Impurity - Rehearsal Madness '94

Chaotic Impurity - Rehearsal Madness 1994
1) Dark Legion
2) Meteor Doom
3) Mount Dead
4) Infinite Black
5) 'Old Slow Punk Ending'
6) 'Old Old Song'
7) Rabid
8) If Only You Knew
9) Take a Stab

RGhost / Mega

Another of brother The Unnamed's sendings is in order and this is both the oldest and easily the rarest of the bunch; a '94 rehearsal tape by Chaotic Impurity who were more or less proto-Infinite Black, though it's really inaccurate to say that. I actually asked about it and Jesse said "Chaotic stuff was pre-IB...different band but kind of incestuous when it comes to members... long story..." so that's that. Similar actually to OfDoom and Black Feast situation, to refer something domestic and slightly more current. No covers for this and it was ripped from a CDr Jesse burned me.

Recorded on a tape deck live in bedroom (IB demo '95 was a step up, they did that one in the living room) so it's a bit on the murky side soundwise but not really worse than most other old rehearsal tapes. The nine songs making up the roughly 25 minute recording are mostly short, fast and chaotic stabs of black/death metal mayhem and I think at least partially improvised as things sound like they get a bit out of hand at times! As the tracklisting reveals, two of the songs didn't have proper names either but it also serves to testify it was not as improvisational as I might have implied there. It's making me more confused (or confusing) than usual, isn't it? The personnel are largely same as on early Infinite Black recordings so the vocals of The Abhorred are the recognizable screeches, shrieks and howls. It's a neat detail how here we have track four titled Infinite Black and on IB reh/demo '95 the sixth song is Chaotic Impurity. Enough words, if you fancy some obscure and primitive Australian uneasy listening this is for you. If you would prefer melodic keyboard-drive music you're out of luck today.

Grimm's Journey - Promo 1999

Grimm's Journey - Promo 1999
1) Intergalactic Cadillac
2) Epsilon A
3) Subcreator's World Spin

Mediafire / Zippyshare

Let's do another CD promo though this one is ripped from a cassette dub. Grimm's Journey from Finland, have you ever heard about them? No? Well, they did at least this promo back in '99, played at Sararock in '00 and have recorded an EP titled "The Carrion Game" according to their Myspace. Some of the members also played in Sotajumala which I presume is a bit better known band. At least in Finland. I ripped this from one of the tapes brother Grev lent me back some months ago, thanks for humouring my curiosity!

Three songs, first two fairly long at almost six minutes each and last one a bit shorter, very melodic "death" metal. As the strange songtitles probably give away this is melodeath of the sort our neighbours in Sweden peddled after mid-90's, think In Flames around "The Jester Race" or so (probably, I don't really listen to 'em) and ...other similar things, maybe Dark Tranquillity of that era... no I actually listened to them every now and then and it's not like DT at all. Ugh, this is not my genre. I'll just say it's like blending In Flames, Children of Bodom and a handful of random late 90's melodeath bands together. I don't really like this. Well, it's better than the EP on Myspace which is mellowed down dull sort of stuff. Like slightly later In Flames crossed with all those Finnish bands I kept ignoring all those years, festivals and drinking sessions at poorly chosen locations. My, that was enthusiastic. Ok, so this isn't that bad, the vocalist does decently harsh voice and there are some nice moments. You know, instead of struggling to find something to say here I could be watching Urara Meirochou which is exactly what I'm going to do!

Infinite Black - Promo MMXIV

Infinite Black - Promo MMXIV promo 2013
1) Trance Like Void
2) Before the Gates
3) Insidious
4) Cloak and Sword
5) Outro

Yandex / 4shared

As promised on the Nefandus 'zine post the other day, here's some music sent by The Unnamed and unusually we start with a practically fresh item, the most recent promo of Infinite Black dating to 2013 and titled "Promo MMXIV" ...or as seen on the M-A entry "Promo 2013" which makes me believe there were two editions of it and this'd probably be the second. Ripped from the original CD I was sent and encouraged to share, scans of the cardboard cover thingy are included.

I actually feel kind of stupid for posting the latest release now but it's too late for regrets. Compared to for example the oldest material ('95 reh/demo) this is of course much better production-, musicianship- and songwriting-wise but still identifiable as same band. While the debut recording was characterized by high banshee-like shrieks supported by grunts this is mainly lead by hoarse half-yell half-roar voice with very variable support vocals and the thin-yet-sort-of-submerged rehearsal sound is replaced by a strong but not overpolished studio production. And while the old songs had a plenty of variation within they had certain clumsiness to it while here similarily complex structures stand firm. Experience shows I suppose. Then again this is naturally not as wild as young lads' playing is but I still think I enjoy (for change!) the more recent Infinite Black material best. The music moves mainly in moderate speeds, with the first song being most aggressive of the bunch. Generally it's very atmospheric and keeps slowing down towards the end of the recording. More of a menacing aura than violent warlike ruckus one might expect from Aussie metal. These four songs plus outro last just under twenty minutes and could easily be released as a minialbum as it is. Good stuff, hopefully there will eventually be an album out!

Svantevith - The Return of the Ancient Slav promo '96

Svantevith - The Return of the Ancient Slav promo 1996
1) Intro
2) Te Svantevith Laudeamus
3) Te Svantevith... /Reprise/
4) 966
5) Smutek i rozpacz
6) Outro

Sendspace / Sampo

...or "Thr Return of the Ancient Slav" as our Slavonic heroes manage to misspell the title in not one but two places. That aside, I know there were rips of this floating in the bleak cybervoid before but at least the one I had saved was not of very stellar master elite quality so when I came across my copy of the tape I decided to rip it and post the result as it turned out ok. "It" being the sole promo tape of the Polish project Svantevith featuring Lord Smrtan of Nirnaeth fame, also responsible for keyboards, programming and similar pursuits in Themgoroth and Eblis. Cover scans included.

Yes, this is a synth project like you probably guessed, and in the particular vein Poles were fond of: bombastic Slavonic pagan ambient with touches of both neoclassical and pagan black metal. Latter mainly represented by the surprisingly savage raw vocals and scarcely deployed guitar. There are certainly some elements of dungeon synth present as well but I think this is quite differently oriented. Adding the tag still as the music may appeal to fans of that category. Side A could be considered the main or title part and consists of a lengthy intro, ten minute plus epos Te Svantevith Laudeamus and a short instrumental reprise piece. Side B opens with the aggressive 966 which is the most metal song of the bunch with constant fervent vocals, martial percussion, abundant background shrieks and occasional electric guitar support. This is a long track, almost seven minutes, but has a lot going on. Smutek i rozpacz which follows has music credited to Azhubham Haani (well, spelled Aazhubham... here). The band? Is this a cover? It's a bleak affair led by the shriekier voice, guitar strumming and quite mellow synth. I don't recognize this as any of the A.H. songs right now, let's leave that to experts. A lonely piano opens the almost five minute outro track that soon adds more elements in and developes epic character. Interesting thing, not quite metal nor purely ambient either. Reminds me a bit of the December's Fire album, though I seem to like this more. Could be due my strong preference of D.F. demos over the full length. I recommend you take a listen if you like dramatic synth stuff and don't mind a Slavonic pagan metal flair to it.

Nefandus #2

Nefandus 'zine, issue 2 (1996)
Interviews:
Liar of Golgotha
Countess
Infinite Black
Armageddon Holocaust
Drowned
Vorak
Vorphalack
Lord Kaos
Oracle of the Void
Gothi-Gydja A'A'I
Uncle Underground Distro
Svartsyn
Baalberith
+reviews, illustrations and all sorts of weirdness

Depositfiles

Time for another 'zine post. Remember the first Nefandus issue I posted in January '14? Of course you do, I even gave you a link to it. Anyways, I wrote there about how I'd wanted to read that second issue for years and years, not really expecting to run into it. Imagine my surprise then when The Unnamed contacted me and offered to send a copy! I took up his generous offer (extremely so, he sent it for free and included some music too), scanned the 'zine when it arrived and then kind of sat on it for a little while. Must let the contributions stew a while for maximum flavour, y'know?

Anyways, here it finally is and Jesse also informed me this was indeed the last issue; some stuff was ready for a third strike but it was not finished. The second issue was printed in very limited quantity, 40 copies, and the specimen he donated to the Coven once belonged to his comrade The Abhorred, former vocalist of Infinte Black and Chaotic Impurity, also known as ADY hence the name on the cover. Once again thanks for the contribution, very much appreciated!

If you enjoyed the first issue like I did, you will dig this one too. Similar feeling, slightly more refined and cleaner lay-out (which actually reminds me a bit of older Key of Alocer issues) but still not commercial glossy fancy pansy magazine bullshit! One of the things that makes this especially interesting is the strong domestic focus, it's good to see Australian bands who appear seldom in the 'zines we've featured so far get some spotlight. The other bands are less common names as well so what can I say but heartily recommend this. No Mortiis or Behemoth here! Please note that some of the content may be considered offensive (another selling point). I will post some of the music he sent in near future so stay tuned for more Aussie madness.