Deceased - Fearless Undead Machines (1997)

Within a few hours of now I'm going to have a bunch of friends over for horror movies, drinking and heavy metal, but before all that let's talk about a great zombie themed album from the mighty Arlington, Virginia death/thrashers, Deceased.

Deceased is a name I've known for years, and having seen them live back in the day at Milwaukee Metalfest a few times I should by all accounts probably bought up their whole discography, but for better or worse this is the only album I've ever heard and owned from them. Maybe that's not a bad thing at all though since this is often considered their masterpiece and although the subject matter of zombies and horror in general is common theme of the genre I suspect few have came as close to that classic Romero zombie madness as Deceased did on, 'Fearless Undead Machines.'

Dawn of the Deceased

As a conceptual album it has a very cinematic edge, opening with a news caster speaking on the zombie epidemic while from this cut to eleventh and final laceration King Fowley and crew discuss more than just horrific brain munching mania, but the scientific and religious aspects of it all are brought up as well the story seems to follow the few non-changed humans and their endless struggle to stay alive.

For thrash this a highly melodic album with tons and tons of exterminatingly awesome riffs and some cut-throat leads, as well as some jaw gaping solos to boot, likewise the songs are rarely typical in structure and just sort of flow along without any chorus' or anything that would normally make a thrash song potentially catchy. Then again this isn't pure thrash by any means, as you'll discover a strong 80's mishmash of styles ranging from the obvious thrash style, but also a bit of speed metal and even leanings towards a proto-death metal manner here and there. Fowley's unique rough voice and maniacal screams feel perfect for this sort of concept and had an album like this had a clearer speaker and screamer it wouldn't have been as effective. There's also some short narrative pieces that put a back story to the carnage, such is the case with, 'Contamination' or 'From The Ground They Came,' which is just a simple but chillin' instrumental, but things always pick up quickly afterwards and get back to the thrashin'.

The album is also interestingly long at nearly seventy minutes and I'll admit that at times it does feel a little long, but if you have the lyrics in hand it really does keep you on the edge of your seat, but be careful not to fall off if you should happen to start headbanging too dramatically. You've got to also consider the fact that this album was created when thrash metal wasn't exactly the hip thing. Almost all of the old thrashers from the 80's had turned into something really awful by '97 as well many had already called it quits between '92 - '94. However, Deceased said fuck the 90's trend bullshit and just pulled the fucking trigger and brought the 80's hammering back through this monster of an album!

Sure, you could go with Cannibal Corpse or Mortician or any other swarm of bands that have had zombie and gore themes today, but I say go for this one, because 'Fearless Undead Machines' is far more ruthless and bloodthirsty than any of those bands, even if they are not as brutal. UP THE TOMBSTONES, MOTHERFUCKER!!!

Funeral Mist - Salvation (2003)

"I can of my own self do nothing: as I hear I judge: and my judgement is just: because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."
-John 5:30

Funeral Mist's debut, 'Salvation' was a a benchmark of unparalleled excellence within the religious black metal sub-genre that flawlessly redefined what was adequate within black metal music back in '03. This album took the familiar blasting sound of Arioch's previous band Triumphator and blended it with a highly original take on Satanism and various other non-metal aspects and ideas and utterly blurred what was black metal before it. Salvation did away with the abysmal production values, the primitive and simplistic Darkthrone approach to writing and the often uninspired and dull vocal performances that had begun to plague and ruin the genre by the turn of the century.

The music hits as a turbulence of relentless devilish violence that's mind numbing and oppressive in its delivery. The riffing is chaotic and sometimes completely incomprehensible, though there's often underlining melodies of the most sinister quality emanating below that seizes my attention and pulls me deeper down. Some brief slower tempos do make an appearance, likewise some repetitive droning atmospheres emerge as well, though the malevolent mood hardly fades and in fact certain points of this album even reach a point of epicness. Amongst all that the drums are endlessly blasting within and underneath but never become too overbearing.

Live through me, O seditious star

One of the things that characterizes this release even more so is the ample usage of samples, ranging from the sounds of dogs barking, explosions, babies crying, monks chanting, people screaming in terror and even sounds of outright oddness. 'Sun of Hope' features the procession of black plague victims sample from Ingmar Bergman's, 'The Seventh Seal,' and even though Abigor used it nearly a decade earlier it sounds much more fitting within this album, while The outro to 'In Manus Tuas' I can only guess is lifted from a movie from the silent era of cinema, and whatever it may be it really, really is creepy sounding in that vintage cinematic way.

Arioch's vocal approach is one of the absolute most unique and malignant ever committed to tape, not content to go for the simple rasp the genre is known for his voice often twists in its style and pitch almost like a fervent preacher man on Sunday morning. In fact, some of the lyrics remind me of one of the many forced church visits from my childhood, and having once watched a Catholic priest conduct an entire mass in Latin it has sort of always left me with an uncomfortable though curious feeling towards the language. Combine those pre-existing feelings with the bands occasional tendencies to use Latin lyrics as well as the overwhelmingly dark and torturing nature of the whole record and its not hard for me to say that this is an album to admire for life.

The cover artwork is also a thing of pure horror; featuring a crucified Arioch, thus representing Jesus, and alongside him are two crucified babies (the thief's) with their chests lacerated open as well an unexplainable host of bedlam beyond them. The booklet also features all the lyrics in an archaic font as well as various grisly and occult images, thus making the album an absolute must buy and not simply something you can steal from the internet!

I can admit that when I originally heard this album it was so too much for me, it was also during a period of lesser black metal interest, but all these years later I've purchased the Season of Mist re-release and have marveled at its innovation and extremeness since. It must be understood though that this is by no means an everyday sort of release, it takes a certain mindset to appreciate it due to its walloping, evil and hate filled nature.

In the end I dare you take this journey to oblivion, because simply put, black metal doesn't get much better than, 'Salvation.'

The Cold Beyond @ The Borg Ward 10.27.12

Saturday the 27th of 2012 was officially chalked down as the return of Milwaukee, Wisconsin's first and finest black metal band, namely, The Cold Beyond. This gathering was held at The Borg Ward, which is a small DIY venue/rehearsal spot with an absolute underground spirit forged behind it, which is obviously ideal for black metal music. This event would also mark the bands first material in nine years through the 'Forever Burning' EP release, which I'll surely be reviewing in the coming weeks.

The band also had t-shirts available, though I ended up spending all of my extra loot at Dread Records, who had set up shop within the Borg for the evening. Personally I picked up Emetic Records re-release of Beherit's, 'The Oath of Black Blood' on Picture LP format (ltd 500 copies) and totally out of print, as well as Exordium's, 'In Wrath Principle,' and all for just $30 as well. So, if you're looking for some great releases for a fair price than definitely stop over at their site.

Anyway, getting back to the main point of this review. The event featured M. Jurek, Kathogah, The Cold Beyond, Sacrificial Massacre and Festerfuck VS Milorganaut. I arrived at the venue slightly late, because eating dinner and finishing my viewing of the movie, 'The People Under the Stairs' seemed more important, and as such I missed M.Jurek, which is one of the members of black metal band, Owlscry, doing ambient noise music. I should also point out that I missed the grind-off between grindcore bands, Festerfuck & Milorganaut, mainly because I generally loathe grind and also because by the time Sacrificial Massacre finished (a little after 11 PM) I was sort of burned out from only sleeping a few hours after work Friday night/morning (I do the grave shift thing, folks).

Kathogah:
As a result of my lateness the first band I caught was Kathogah, which is Jon Engman's solo sludge metal project. Jon's known for his work in Foetopsy, Liturgy, Brodequin, Screaming Afterbirth and his industrial/noise project, Custodian, and he was even a member of The Cold Beyond back in the late 90's as well. You might ask yourself how does one perform as a one-man sludge band? Well, that answer is sort of hard to explain, but all I know is that Jon was sitting down playing a live drum machine with his hands and had his feet on pedals of some sort for the guitar and he was also singing too. Talk about multitasking. Curiously it all sounded quite good and had I been somewhat intoxicated I probably would have started head banging to his five untitled songs. It was definitely weird crowding around someone and watching them play sludge without any real instruments, but without a doubt interesting and enjoyable too. I'm not sure if Jon plans to keep performing this way or to eventually form a normal line-up, but at least this performance was fascinating.


The Cold Beyond:
Although I had assumed they were going to play last as the headlining act of the night, The Cold Beyond ended up playing third for reasons beyond my knowing. The band played a somewhat short set at just about forty minutes and four songs in total, which were also all taken from the new EP. The band opened with, '...And Then The Darkness Came,' which instantly seemed to spread a sense of frigidness and looming gloom throughout the venue, until the song gathered in its pace and Sithicus Ravenlord (guitarist/vocalist) began to violently scream into the microphone for the next several minutes. During the speedier moments of this song and the ones to follow it was absolutely impressive watching the bands onstage passion, especially Sithicus who delivered the vocals in such a malign and bloodthirsty manner as well during some moments his hands were quivering in a murderous sort of motion, which you'd just have to have seen to believe. Also drummer JM Sundown was certainly impressive behind the drum kit, never missing a beat and in some cases just absolutely pummeling the drums. Needless to say, the mans a beast. I also enjoyed the fact that his drums seemed to be quite loud and it just made their style of black metal all the more abrasive and destructive.

Despite the shortness of their set I was overly impressed with their performance and the new songs, as well I hope to be able to catch at least one of the upcoming gigs in November.


Sacrificial Massacre:
Sacrificial Massacre has been active since 2010 and this two piece band of Joseph Aborter of the Divine Bastard Son (drums) and Alejandro Consumer of Divine Flesh (vocals/guitars) have released two demos since and are often known to play gigs, although this was my first time catching them live due to the fact that I almost always work Friday's and weekends. The band plays a sort of minimalist raw orthodoxy black metal with mid-paced short songs that are generally no more than 2-3 minutes each. Just like The Cold Beyond, Sac Mass played under the ominous blue lights, nearly cloaked in darkness as they raged through several of their songs. The band brought a foreboding sentiment to the venue through Alejandro's grim riffs and malevolent snarls, as well Joseph would occasional scream out in-between songs, and although I'm not exactly sure what he was saying it felt like some sort of incantation being cast upon us. Likewise the band displayed a similar sense of passion and proficiency through their performance that you just don't always see from underground unsigned bands. To put it lightly though, I was impressed.


As I mentioned earlier I didn't stay for the final act due to a lack of interest and tiredness, but I still had an overly enjoyable evening and I truly can't wait to catch these bands again!

FIN - Fated by Will and Iron (2012)

Chicago based band FIN establishes itself as a relic of 20^th century warfare.  Every track on the, “Fated by Will and Iron,” Demo has us struggling to catch our breaths, cringing at the thought of crawling over the wall and out of the trenches into the firestorm. It is effortless to get lost in the chaos of this blood, smoke, and shrapnel filled world that FIN immerses its listeners in, the trem’d out guitars and ferocious drums emulate the incessant shelling and gunfire that saturates this landscape well. For now though, let us keep our heads down for the rest of this stay on the Western Front.

Dawn breaks, awoken by the scents of turmoil, FIN’s track, “Upon Our Enemies Ruin,” stands out amongst the Demo as their strongest song. With elements comparable to supreme outfits, Endstille and Spite Extreme Wing, FIN deploys the entirety of its arsenal. “Upon Our Enemies Ruin,” is a first person account of gazing upon those FIN has conquered with a sense of severe and honest observation… “I see, the wounded and the dead.”

I had the chance to see FIN in action, and for their first show I could tell that the two-piece had their vision of what FIN should represent, from the setting of large shells clutching the FIN banner, too the fusion of early 20^th century and militant Black Metal uniform. With no expectations, I was astonished by the level of musicianship and performance FIN demonstrates. FIN also shows an aptitude to perform Silencer styled vocals between songs! Their live set sounded very multi-dimensional for a two-piece band, and with the prospect of a third, seeing FIN play again is near the top of my to-do list.

“Fated by Will and Iron,” is a robust 6-Track Demo; FIN sticks to its guns in its reverberating and relentless style. The intrigue starts with its historical appeal and ambiance, and continues with its complexity. FIN does not sound like a four chord and a blast beat Black Metal band claiming to be, "primitive," no, FIN is a mindful band that shows a great deal of dedication to their craft. "Fated by Will and Iron," is dug in, and holding its ground.

Download the demo for free, HERE!

Battle Dagorath / Darchon / Lorn - Enshroudment of Astral Destiny (2012)

Since their debut, 'Eternal Throne' in '08 and their stunning follow-up, 'Ancient Wraith,' California black metal act, Battle Dagorath has remained mighty as a pillar of excellence within the often overlooked USBM scene. Cloaked in obscurity, the band took the listener to the coldest regions imaginable through their first two albums while offering their own variation of a sound comparable to Paysage d'Hiver, Lunar Aurora, Darkspace, and Vinterriket, though frankly speaking I enjoy Battle Dagorath immensely more so.

On this 3-way split between Italian's Lorn and newcomers from Greece, Darchon, the prevalent theme is more related to the cosmos as they've left the mountains and ascended deeply into the outer domains of space.

Digifile in black envelope (lim. 500)

Before getting to the actual music its important to point out that this is one of the most exquisite packaging's I've ever seen. Housed in a large black envelope we find a fold-out digifile with fantastic though bleak celestial imagery with all the necessary information on each band too. Limited to just 500 copies, its likely to move fast, but there's also a version of this release that was limited to just 50 copies that had sealing wax on the envelope, which I've never seen before. In any case, its quite a sight to behold for all true collectors of dark morbid musical art.

Getting back to the music though, Battle Dagorath kicks off this split with their song, 'Echoes from the Ancient Skies.' Opening with spacey dark ambiance, the listener initially finds themselves floating leisurely among the cosmos, when around the two minute mark, relentless drum blasting, a scything lead riff and Black Sorcerer Battle's venomous shrieks take hold and spiral the listener into the blackest void thought possible until the song reaches its duration at almost nine minutes. 'Warspirits of Annihilation' isn't merciful in any way and continues along the same fierce path offering the dissonant blasting and arcane guitar melodies amidst a whorl of occasional majestic synth elegies, while 'Nocturnal Elegy' initiates with a slow guitar passage coupled with a gloomy synth lead that grows in its epicness and eventually collides with a similarly cacophonous assault as the previous two songs. Featuring Elzeril of Hungarian black metal act, Vérzivatar, on vocals, his high pitched manic howl fits in perfectly with this darkly grandiose creation.

Darchon is up next and this also happens to be the debut release from this Greek solo project. Darchon clearly pulls from the same pool of inspiration as Battle Dagorath, as his music is quite similar, though perhaps actually harsher in production and often featuring more synth melodies, while the vocals are bitter hisses, largely pushed into the background that hardly even resemble a human voice. Darchon's music has more tendencies to give way to slower passages or even purely ambient parts but is in no way comfortable or easy listening black metal as the guitar tone is quite raw and fuzzy and the drums absolutely barrel over the listener. The keyboards, which fit the space theme entirely too well, largely lead the music as the rest is mostly a discordant romp through violence, but if you listen carefully you can pick out some truly menacing riffs among the chaos. The bands third song, 'Breath of Typhoeus' is however quite different as its somewhat in a martial symphonic style not unlike something In Slaughter Natives or Triarii might come up with, though of course this song keeps the sidereal theme well intact.

Finally the Italians in Lorn close out this fifty five minute split with one single song titled, 'Vain Foreseen.' I was a fan of the bands one and only album, 'Towards the Abyss of Disease,' but after looking through my box of promos I wasn't able to find it, which is a bit upsetting. Anyway, the song opens with light ambiance and distant cymbal crashes when a mighty lead riff , pounding drums and raspy growls suddenly enter this scene. The song carries a very commanding and relentless pace with immense underlining darkness that simply must be heard to understand. Apparently somewhere along the way Lorn became the solo work of Radok who handles all instrumentation here quite admirably. A shame only one song is included since Lorn sounds quite different from the previous two bands, but either way its great to re-connect with this band through at least one walloping cut.

In the end Battle Dagorath absolutely floors me through their three compositions as well my first experience is absolutely stellar with Darchon and as already mentioned its great to hear Lorn again. This is uncomprehending and violent art wrought with nihilism, obscurity, hatred, rejection and a distant yearning to leave humanity behind in favor of the stars. An absolutely stunning split release right here.

Imperial Crystalline Entombment - Apocalyptic End in White (2004)

Imperial Crystalline Entombment's, (aka I.C.E.) "Apocalyptic End in White," creates an entity and reality that could go toe to toe with our beloved Blashyrkh.  I.C.E. is a four piece black metal band from Maryland and includes members of Aurora Borealis and Nightsky Studios.  I gained some insight on the band from an oversight on adding an AOL E-Mail address to the album art back in 2004.  All members will remain nameless and known only under their monikers.  It should also be known I.C.E. is a no non-sense Black Metal band with great production value and is instrumentally void of flutes!  

Aesthetically what is not too enjoy about this album cover?  "Apocalyptic End in White," screams non-traditional, from it's color scheme too the band's attire, which all looks menacing and chilling.  From the start we might as well open up the booklet and start following the lyrics, because every single track is enthralling, I wish I could attribute the vocals too one of the four members of I.C.E., for his/her's mastery of lyrical cadence.

Behold Råvaskeith, the mythos which appears throughout, "Apocalyptic End in White," who appears to be the summoned and frosty lord of I.C.E.  The album takes us on a journey into his frozen world, awakening amongst a wintery storm, "Cryogenic Communion," sets the scene, and from it, voices... "We are fucking ICE!"  One song spills its icy lifeblood into the next, the lyrics are all damning.  Post invocation, there is a dialogue between Råvaskeith and I.C.E. which is the peak of this album's ferocity, the orator professes, "Yes my master possess me faster, I want to be the one," the reply, "Guide my demons, lead my legions, let my will be done!"  This arctic coven goes on to reveal it's allies and the allies of Råvaskeith, from Banshee Legions and Apocalyptic Blizzard Regimes to Glacial Lykanthropic Hordes, but the album's last honorable mention is the track entitled, "Cascade Cavern Catharsis."  This lil' ditty is the culmination of I.C.E.'s efforts in creating a dire world for their lord, the trem work is on point and the vocals are abrasive and abhorrent.  The ritual ends with the death of our rimy companions completing the summoning ritual so that a jollier Råvaskeith may seek his revenge on the world.

Conclusively this is a torrential beast of an album.  Currently there are no plans in hand for a second full-length I.C.E. album, until then we will just have to wait for our next icy extermination.  Until then... "Women, children, first!"

Lunar Aurora - Andacht (2007)

Looking too Northern nightscapes, I bequest myself too Lunar Aurora!  "Andacht," is the eighth album from brothers Aran und Sindar, along with fellow Bavarian countrymen Skoarth, on guitars, and Whyrhd as guest vocals.  Lunar Aurora has been a long standing German black metal band currently on the Cold-Dimensions label, which appears to have remained cloaked in obscurity for at least a decade.

Andacht emerges with a hefty eleven minute long track entitled, "Glück."  This track opens with a signature Lunar Aurora ambiance that isolates and severs its listener from the world around them.  The scene suddenly sweeps into a rush of blackened fury comparable to the sound of Nokturnal Mortum, and just as the mood is set, layers of ambient samples are added too the mix.  This is where Lunar Aurora seems to enjoy a more avant-garde role.  Imagine two tracks not quite sync'd up together, almost as if one would need an auditory stereoscope to synthesize the two.  The prevailing guitars win out in the end here, in this extensive ode to, "Happiness,"  also a change up in vocals turning the menacing song into one of severe distress drenched in men chanting from other dimensions.

Andacht is introduces each song with their own unique environments, often the ones I personally can associate with desolation.  "Findling," illustrates this semblance as the fourth track of, "Andacht," where the we get to spend the night at water's edge as a storm approaches.  The entire mood of this song is man, staring into the nights abyss, confronting all the despairs that ail him.  Screams from beyond the vale resonate as the percussion and guitars compliment them, leaving nothing to be purged.  Other tracks on this album expose the harsher side of Lunar Aurora, allowing war driven instrumentals, as well as implementing the various vocal styles from the three contributing vocalists.  "Das Ende," ends this epic of sorrow and night skies by sending us into a void of wailing entities that haunt throughout the song slipping in and out from the sweeping synth pads.  

The message of, "Das Ende," is certainly clear as an epilogue to one of my new favorite albums and one of many worth checking out.  Lunar Aurora is definitely the stuff dreams are made of for the reclusive.  Highly recommended for those moments when one can find solitude in confronting the existential realities of life.

The Cold Beyond Interview

The Cold Beyond are one of the first and originators of the Wisconsin black metal scene, having released a few demos in the late 90's they established a cult like status within the underground through these recordings as well as their onstage carnage. However at the turn of the millennium the classic band line-up began to dissipate and eventually disappear completely. Now over a decade later, The Cold Beyond is set to return on October 27th with their first live performance in over twelves years as well as their first release since 2003's, 'Deathbed Revelation.' Take a moment and carry on and get into the minds of band members Sithicus Ravenlord and JM Sundown as we discuss the past and the future of The Cold Beyond.

JM: There’s a long and somewhat complex history behind The Cold Beyond, which probably isn’t familiar to many. Therefore, why don’t we start by having you tell the readers a bit about The Cold Beyond’s past while we catch up to the future.
S. Ravenlord: Hails Joe! Yes, the grim tale of our horde is a bit long and twisted so I shall attempt to relate it as succinctly as possible. The Cold Beyond was born from the ashes of Nightworld and Paradox in August of ’98. The band was originally known as Dead By Morning until the name was changed to TCB in Nov. of ’99. The original 5 piece line-up recorded a 2 song rehearsal/promo in early ’99 and began assaulting the Metal underground via the live arena. In July of ’99 we replaced our original drummer Roth with Void thus solidifying the now klassick line-up of Void: drums, Stalker: bass/backing vocals, Scorn: guitar, Asylum: guitar/backing vocals, and myself handling the main vocals. We engaged in more live assaults and recorded a 4 song demo during the latter half of ’99. After we were the opening war cry for In Flames and Moonspell in Nov. of ’99, Stalker left to move to California, so I took over on bass. Shortly thereafter we lost Scorn as well. As a 3 piece, we recorded a 4 song rehearsal and played the last TCB show of the early era at the second New Jersey March Metal Meltdown in 2000. After returning from the Jersey fest Void took his leave, returning briefly to contribute a noise soundscape to the Technological Cure single which featured Asylum and me as the only two remaining members. We tried to move forward, but ultimately Asylum went on alone to record another demo and finally release the Deathbed Revelation album on Blackthrone in October of ’03 which signified the final breath of the first incarnation of The Cold Beyond.

Sithicus Ravenlord

After years of frozen silence, the seeds that would lead to the eventual return of TCB began to take hold in 2009, but it wasn’t until Feb. of 2010 that the official announcement was made that the resurrection of The Cold Beyond horde had been set in motion. I was originally planning to do everything myself with a drum machine because I had no interest in attempting to find new people to work with. I don’t have the energy nor the desire to go through the sometimes very arduous process of developing a comfortable working relationship and chemistry with complete strangers who may not truly understand the vision that I have for TCB. I’d rather work with people that I already know on a personal level and who know me and understand how I work to avoid any unnecessary conflicts. However, as fate would have it, Jm Sundown and I reconnected in late 2011 and in March of 2012 Jm Sundown officially completed the modern TCB line-up and we have been focused on moving forward ever since.

JM: In 2010 The Cold Beyond arose from the grave after being hacked apart and eventually buried back in 2003. What inspired you, Sithicus to exhume your old band and reanimate it?
S. Ravenlord: Simply put, it came down to a combination of the lingering feelings of unfinished business as well as the ever burning craving to play some of the coldest darkest music possible. I, along with my comrades of the ancient TCB era, spilled a lot of blood sweat and tears forging the legacy of TCB which has endured even after all these years of silence. I’ve always viewed The Cold Beyond as the apex of my grim musical visions and my work within that realm is by far the closest to my heart. It didn’t make sense for me to “start over” with a new name considering that I’m essentially moving forward from same foundation that was originally created with TCB. So it felt natural that I should create the new music under the TCB flag.

Drummer Jm Sundown

JM: Nowadays The Cold Beyond is just you and JM Sundown. What forces brought you two together to write and perform as The Cold Beyond? Were any of the members from the old days asked to re-join upon the bands reawakening?
S. Ravenlord: There was a period of time where there was talk of summoning session musicians to perform the ancient TCB music live and Scorn was going to be a part of that but things never really panned out for various reasons. There is also the very strong possibility that Void shall contribute more noise/soundscapes similar to his work on A Technological Cure to future TCB releases. Other than that none of the others were asked to rejoin the band simply because they have chosen to follow different paths and no longer possess the same hunger to play this kind of music. Let me be clear and say that my previous statement is not in any way meant to be an insult to my past band mates. I’m still very close friends and brothers with most of them, they have my full support always, and I wish them the absolute best in all of their future endeavors!

Concerning Sundown and myself, Jm and I have always been deeply possessed by cold grim ugly violent apocalyptic music and our tastes are very similar for the most part. We also share a deep friendship and brotherhood which in my eyes is one of the most essential elements to summoning a strong long lasting band. So, after we reconnected and Jm told me that he left the band that he was in at the time it once again felt natural to ask him to join TCB. Jm is one of only 3 people that I would care to work with musically and we shall be the only fulltime members of TCB moving forward.
Jm Sundown: I first met S. Ravenlord in 2000. We became great friends immediately. Though I had been into extreme metal since the ‘80s, he exposed me to a great deal of music that changed me forever. I quickly realized he had the same musical and artistic vision as me along with other things outside the artistic genre. Unfortunately, there was a period of silence between the two of us for about 6 years. But we reconnected in November of 2011. He told me about the resurrection of The Cold Beyond. I was already drumming for another band at the time, but left the following January. A while afterwards S. Ravenlord asked if I wanted to join The Cold Beyond. It didn’t take long for me to make my decision.

Deathbed Revelation '03

JM: Not everyone knows this but the original and classic line-up of The Cold Beyond only released a few demos in the late 90’s before Asylum took on the band name as his solo project and released a radically different sounding album in ’03. Interestingly the track featured on, ‘Visionaries of the Macabre’ compilation in ‘00 shows the band already taking a more experimental and industrialized black metal turn. What lead to everyone else’s departure from the band and likewise what are your thoughts on his solo adventure?
S. Ravenlord: Stalker left in November of 99 to move to California to be with his now wife. Scorn left shortly after due to lack of interest in the direction that the band was heading. Void left due to a desire to pursue different musical avenues.

After Void left Asylum and I chose to move forward using a drum machine because we both knew that we were never going to find a drummer of Void’s caliber around here anytime soon. Especially back then when finding musicians that were into BM was next to impossible. So because we chose to go the drum machine route, I wanted to be more experimental with it and not just program all normal style beats because we all know that most of the time the end result sounds corny and unconvincing. The Tech Cure track turned out as good as it did because Asylum’s programming was meant to sound more inhuman and not just impersonate a real drummer and it worked in my ears. I also had many ideas that used the drum machine in a very different rhythmic manner than just standard beats. But, I had only recently began playing bass at the time and I hadn’t even dreamed of picking up a guitar yet, so I was unable to properly voice my riff ideas effectively enough to have a greater impact on the writing of new songs. Asylum and I were both moving in very different directions musically and I wasn’t inspired by the riffs he was creating.

Let’s also set the record straight, I never officially left TCB. Due to a lack of communication on both of our parts, Asylum and I just stopped working together and he chose to take the TCB name and do his solo record. I was never happy nor approved of the fact that he chose to use the TCB name without consulting me first but I was so burned out on everything at the time that I didn’t feel like engaging in a battle over it so I kept my silence. After Deathbed was released Asylum moved on to do Die Alone and basically left TCB in the grave. In fact the last news I heard concerning Asylum was that he’s not really doing much of anything musically which is a terrible tragedy because he is an incredibly talented individual and it’s unfortunate to see such talent left unused. So it’s not like Deathbed came out a year or two ago and now suddenly I’m returning with a new TCB line-up while Asylum is still trying to carry on the name. 6 years had passed by the time I started the resurrection ritual of TCB in 2009. I feel that due to the circumstances of how things went down that I have just as much of a right to it as Asylum had. We all spilled equal amounts of blood and sweat into making TCB what it was, Asylum released his record and moved on, so now I feel it’s my time to use it as I please.

As for Deathbed Revelation itself, it’s an excellent musical achievement especially when you consider that it was all done by one artist. Asylum deserves massive hails for his hard work on that record without a doubt. However, I have never felt that the album possesses the true grim hateful spirit that’s always been an essential element of TCB.
Jm Sundown: I think the Deathbed Revelation record is a very unique addition to TCB legacy. It definitely shows Asylum thinking outside the box and taking Black Metal to different territories. I personally prefer the demo material for I believe the raw and primal brutality on those recordings is what TCB is truly about.

JM: A long talked about compilation of those old demos with the classic line-up titled, ‘Deadspeak’ has been in the works since the bands return. When can listeners expect to finally see these grim relics unleashed again?
S. Ravenlord: When I was going to do everything by myself. I had originally planned on using the release of Deadspeak as the starting point to hail the return of the band while I worked on the new album. However, since joining forces with Jm and work on the new music has progressed, it made more sense for us to focus on the new era of TCB first. Thus the idea was born to create the Forever Burning Ep. We wanted to have something new to possess people while we continue working on the new album. So the plan now is that once we’ve re-established the TCB name, we shall unleash Deadspeak. If I had to put a time frame on it, I’d say that DS will be unleashed after the release of our new album …And Then The Darkness Came.

Forever Burning 10/27/12

JM: Likewise a new EP has been set for autumn. Will ‘Forever Burning’ be released in conjunction with the live assault scheduled for late October?
S. Ravenlord: Yes, absolutely. It was always our intention to release Forever Burning as a part of the celebration of the new age of TCB and our return to live battlefields.

JM: You’ve’ set October 27th as your first live performance in twelve years. I believe The Cold Beyond will perform as just a duo, but will session musicians step in at a later date so you can assume your original role as just vocalist?
S. Ravenlord: I can’t say that we’ll never summon the aid of session musicians to join us when we engage in live warfare, but as of right now we have no plans to do so. And even if we did enlist others to join us in battle, I would still continue to play guitar as well. For as much as I enjoyed the freedom to stalk and rage around the stage. I feel a much deeper more powerful connection to our grim art with a weapon in my hands. It’s a feeling that cannot be explained unless one experiences it firsthand.

JM: I’d imagine you’d want this return gig to have a lot of mystery and surprise surrounding it, but I’ll have to assume the audience will be treated to both the new material as well as your classics. Any thoughts about performing a cover song?
S. Ravenlord: Our focus is entirely on establishing the new era of TCB so we will only be performing our new material live at this time. Aside from A Technological Cure, most of our ancient material was performed by a horde of 3 to 5. Thus it wouldn’t make sense to attempt to recreate those songs live with only a two piece. So, at least for the time being, we will remain focused on our current and future work.

As for covers, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of us covering other artists that we admire.

JM: It’s been years since you violently screamed into a microphone. What was it like during rehearsals/recordings unleashing the inner primal black metal beast that you’ve held inside for all these years?
S. Ravenlord: There are not words to accurately describe the feelings that have possessed me as the resurrection of TCB has become a grim reality. I can tell you one thing for certain, and that’s that the years of silence have only served to fuel and strengthen the cold black flames that rage within me more than ever before! I can also declare without any uncertainty that this is by far the strongest music that I’ve ever been a part of in all of my years performing in bands. That I’m able to make such a bold statement is also in no small part due to the fact that I’m working with Sundown, his contributions to TCB are immeasurable. Again, I don’t mean my previous declaration as any kind of slight against the history of the band or our past members, but I also feel that if I can’t top what TCB has achieved in the past then it’s not worth it to attempt to move forward. Thankfully, our current work will definitely not disrespect what’s come before and we shall proudly carry forth the violent and hateful Black Metal torch that was lit all those years ago.

JM: You’ve described the new material to me as sounding “Glacial,” certainly a term I’ve never seen used to describe black metal before, but it leaves me to believe you’re working on some truly dark and cold sounding music. In my personal opinion it sounds like Immortal and Gorgoroth were huge inspirations to your old works, while I’m thinking entirely different bands have inspired the newer material, which I’m just guessing will again signify a new chapter of sound in The Cold Beyond timeline. What can we expect?
S. Ravenlord: That’s a very good question! The new music is quite cold, desolate, and as grim as it gets. Imagine if you were left standing at the edge of an immense glacier staring out into eternity as a monstrous arctic storm approaches behind you with an inexorable ravenous hunger devouring everything in its path. Your only choices are jump off the precipice or be consumed by the storm. Either way you’re completely fucked! If you can imagine that then you’ve got a decent idea what our new music sounds like.

Immortal and Gorgoroth are STILL HUGE influences on me and my riff writing, and that won’t change no matter how many years pass! But that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. My war brothers Scorn and Void have also had a major influence on my guitar style. I learned so much from working with them over the years that it’s helped me immensely in my writing. Sundown and I have vast deep wells of influence from which to draw from and it’s truly inspiring to think of the many possibilities where we can take TCB sound.
Jm Sundown: What we are doing with TCB is what I’ve been seeking to do for quite some time. This is the bleakest and most depressive band I’ve ever played in, yet it’s also vicious, primal, raw and barbaric as all hell and I love it. We are both inspired by all the early Scandinavian bands, but we also draw inspiration from a handful of newer bands who we feel are essential such as Drudkh. We are inspired by so much stuff it’s hard to name it all.

JM: You’ve also recently started the WIBML – Wisconsin Black Metal Legion. Is this meant to be a rivalry group to the NYDM – New York Death Metal, where members of WIBML will wear patches, have meetings and organize gigs and so on, or is it merely just an elite grouping of bands from Wisconsin, such as France’s , ‘Les Legions Noire?’
S. Ravenlord: Definitely more in the vein of TNBM or the French Black Legion. We are not interested in any rivalries with anyone. We are focused on our band, achieving the goals that we’ve set for ourselves, and working with other like minded artists. Everything else is unimportant.
Jm Sundown: WIBML is about people who play true black metal that comes from their heart. I feel that all the bands and musicians involved are for real and not just playing BM because it’s trendy. The rosters of bands that carry the WIBML logo represent quality and sincerity on top of creating amazing music. That’s what I feel we’re about. There are absolutely no meetings, patches, tattoos or anything else like that. And we are certainly not rivals with any other group in our area. We just want to represent the best BM in Wisconsin.

JM: Obviously you feel quite passionate about the Wisconsin Black Metal scene to start you own club/grouping of bands. What are your thoughts on the black metal scene here? What bands stand out and where do you see the Wisconsin scene going in the near future?
S. Ravenlord: It’s good to see that there is finally a BM scene developing here in WI. I’m also looking forward to sharing the battlefield with other local BM bands! I haven’t heard all of the BM bands that exist here in WI, but of the ones that I have heard: Sacrificial Massacre, Owlscry, Foreordination, Totmeer, and Mermeroth are among the elite in my humble opinion. There exists great potential here in WI. As the WIBML grows, I see the BM scene here becoming much stronger. We already have several plans in the works to spread the grim sermons of the WIBML as far as possible but I cannot speak of the details for they are still in the early stages of development. However, all shall be revealed in due time.

JM: You and JM Sundown are also the mastermind’s behind, Night World Records, which I believe is mostly concentrating on re-releasing past projects on CD for now. Looking a bit to the future though will you eventually sign other bands, perhaps some abroad, and run it as a normal record label?
S. Ravenlord: NWR is first and foremost our outlet for releasing our dark musical art. Yes, we are planning to release the ancient demo material from my past bands but currently our first priority is the new TCB stuff as well as Jm’s NeoFolk/Experimental project Sundown. Plans for the Accursed and Stormblast material are in the works but they’ve been put on the backburner at the moment as we approach the release of the Forever Burning Ep. Of course once we’ve established NWR as a label we will entertain the possibility of working with other artists but (aside from a split release) that is not something that will happen anytime in the foreseeable future.

JM: You’ve used the quote, “Black Metal the way it was meant to be played” to describe your sound. With that said, what is black metal to you and what does it mean to you as an individual?
S. Ravenlord: Well, actually I can’t take credit for the aforementioned quote. Void was the one who originally came up with it. But it is an excellent quote and thus why I’ve kept it alive. Black Metal for me personally has always been an outlet for all of the darkness, hatred, and violence that dwells within my spirit. I can’t accurately put to words my connection with Black Metal. There’s something in BM that speaks to me in a way that nothing else has musically speaking anyway. Playing Black Metal is not just something that I want to do, but something that I HAVE to do.
Jm Sundown: Black Metal to me is basically rising above the typical norms and constraints of society as well as channeling the intense darkness, hatred and depression that has always been inside me. It is about reconnecting myself with nature and breaking away from the worldly and materialistic ways of humanity, thinking for myself and following my own path. Black metal is a very positive thing for me and has helped me grow and become a much stronger person.

Sithicus & Asylum in '00

JM: A lot of younger metalheads and those abroad probably don’t understand The Cold Beyond’s legacy or importance as one of or the very first black metal bands to arise out of Wisconsin. I’d imagine that fact must fill you with some pride, but likewise I’d think it would serve as some serious motivation and possible pressure to create the absolute best black metal music imaginable.
S. Ravenlord: It really just came down to sheer coincidence that I happened to be the right age, playing in bands, and was a tape trader in the underground Metal scene during the late 80’s and into the 90’s. I feel lucky that I was able to be a part of such a special time in the history of Metal. Witnessing first hand as Speed/Thrash evolved into Death Metal/Grindcore. Experiencing the second wave of Black Metal as the Nordic hordes assaulted the underground which left me completely possessed by it is beyond words. It’s quite staggering to consider how many subgenres have sprouted off of the original Metal tree since it all began with the release of Black Sabbath. But ultimately being a part of it all via my bands and the various record stores that I’ve worked at is truly an honor for me. Granted, my contributions means nothing in the grand scheme of things other than the fact that I was among the first to do it here in WI starting with Accursed in 93’. But all that said I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it’s cool to have been among those leading the charge of the BM invasion of WI.

The only pressure that I feel comes from my own personal standards that are much higher than what anyone else can place upon me. I’m constantly striving to evolve and grow and become a better musician and song writer. I push myself to try and write the best possible riffs/songs/vocals that I can when working on new music. As long as the new music that we write holds up to or surpasses what we’ve done before then that’s all that I care about. Our music can always get colder, darker, more violent, hateful, and apocalyptic.
Jm Sundown: I feel no pressure. There is no anxiety for me. We just do exactly what we want. It all comes from the heart for us and whether people like it or not is irrelevant.

JM: Black metal is a genre with literally tons of releases every year, yet most are completely forgettable in the long run. Looking back on the past twenty years of the genre what would you say is some of most iconic, revolutionary and must own albums released since 1992?
S. Ravenlord: I’m quite disgusted with what passes for Black Metal these days. Most modern Black Metal lacks aggression, violence, hatred, and the true grim spirit of frozen darkness. There are still good bands to be heard for sure it’s just that finding the good bands is a much more challenging proposition these days.
Since 92’ there’ve been way too many great albums released to mention them all here, so aside from the obvious klassicks which have received enough talk I’ll mention some of the lesser known gems that are just as deserving of the klassick status: Nehemah: Requiem Tenebre, Taake: Nattestid, Kvist: For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike, Hades (Nor): first two records, Gehenna: the 1st and 2nd spells, everything by Mysticum, Niden Div. 187: Impergium, Old Wainds: Where the Snows Are Never Gone..., Setherial: Nord, Paysage d'Hiver: S/T, Graveland: Following the Voice of Blood, and Gorgoroth: Destroyer.

As for newer records since the turn of the millennium, some that I can name are: Funeral Mist: Salvation, Thorns: S/T, Deathspell Omega: Si Monumentum, Drudkh: first two records, Darkspace: II, Ghast: May the Curse Bind, Blut Aus Nord: The Work…, Anaal Nathrakh: Codex Necro, Katharsis: Kruzifixxion, The Axis Of Perdition: Deleted Scenes, Clandestine Blaze: Night of Unholy Flames, and Hate Forest: Purity.
Jm Sundown: Darkthrone’s Panzerfaust is one of the greatest BM albums ever created. De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas by Mayhem is another mandatory record. Drudkh’s Forgotten Legends and Autumn Aurora are some of my all-time favorites as well. Personally, there’s just too much I love for me to answer.

Deadspeak demo compilation

JM: Sithicus, some people may know that you have a music career that stretches back to the early 90’s, while I believe JM Sundown has only recently begun playing in bands in the past couple of years. If you feel it’s relevant in this context, I think readers might find it to be interesting to hear a little bit about your past musical battles before, during and after the original demise of The Cold Beyond.
S. Ravenlord: I was the drummer in several “bands” before switching to vocals in my first “real” band Accursed which started in 93’. After Accursed came Hollow, Nightworld, and Stormblast before TCB was formed in 98’ under the Dead By Morning name. While Asylum was working on his solo album, Jm and I first worked together in fractured…, which is also when I started playing guitar, before going our separate ways and the rest is now history.
Jm Sundown: I’ve actually been playing in bands for 24 years. I have recorded many demos and CDs with many bands, not only in extreme music but dark music in general. But like I said earlier, the music we’re creating for TCB is what I’ve wanted to do the most.

JM: Some metal musicians stick to just metal, while others have other musical interests. Do you guys enjoy any music outside of the metal genre, if so any names you care to share? Likewise, have any of these bands influenced The Cold Beyond in anyway?
S. Ravenlord: I’ll start by saying that I still listen to a lot of Black Metal especially during the autumn and winter months. Metal in general has been and always will be the closest music to my heart, but I do enjoy a vast variety of different music. If the music moves me, then I couldn’t care less what genre it comes from. For example, I’m a HUGE fan of film scores and have a fairly decent sized collection that is ever growing. I’m definitely inspired by non metal music when writing for TCB; however all of it gets channeled through a Black Metal filter so the influence may not always be so easily apparent. I believe that everything that I listen to has an influence on me in some way or another, but how strong that influence may be is another story. Sadly, as I’ve grown older, it’s become increasingly more difficult to find new music that inspires me but I always keep my ears open to the possibility of something new to blow me away all over again. Concerning non Metal music that I like, it’s simply too difficult for me to lock it down to a handful of names.
Jm Sundown: Neofolk and experimental industrial such as Death In June, Controlled Bleeding and Of The Wand And The Moon have greatly inspired me. Nick Drake and Syd Barret are some of my favorites as well. Swans are probably one of my all time favorite bands and Michael Gira’s work has greatly inspired me. I listen to so much music, metal and non-metal, that it’s hard to name everything.

Sithicus, early 2012

JM: How did you come up with your stage names? Is there any special meaning behind them?
S. Ravenlord: There is meaning behind all aspects of my work in TCB even down to the smallest details such as the battle gear that I wear and the war paint style that I’ve chosen. The origins of my artist name are very personal to me and would not be easily understood by those who don’t know me so I shall keep them private. One thing that I can divulge is that Sithicus comes from the D&D Ravenloft games and novels.
Jm Sundown: Jm are my initials and Sundown is a reference to my solo project of the same name.

JM: To an extent The Cold Beyond is a bit different lyrically and even visually than most black metal bands since none of the lyrics have Satanic or Anti-Christian themes while no member of the band has ever worn an inverted cross or pentagram in any photos or onstage either. Inevitably one can’t help but wonder what your feelings on Christianity may be and whether or not you hold any special religious beliefs?
S. Ravenlord: My personal views are private and have nothing to do with TCB. We are not discerning in our utter disgust and hatred for the vast majority of humanity. If you wipe out humanity then religion and politics become irrelevant. The anti-Christian/satanic theme has been done to death and is completely uninspiring to me. There are many other realms of darkness and hatred that can be explored.
Jm Sundown: Religion is of no concern to me. Refer to my answer on what I think BM is.

JM: What would you say is your most precious memory when looking back to the late 90’s when the band was rehearsing, writing songs, recording and playing gigs as much as possible?
S. Ravenlord: That’s a very tough question to answer as there are many awesome moments that I hold dear. I don’t know where to begin! So much has happened in the 23+ years that I’ve been doing this that I could easily write a novel’s worth of material to answer the question. I’m going to have to get back to you on that one.

Live March Metal Meltdown '99

JM: This might be a bit of a vague question, but what do you hate and what angers you about life or just humanity in general?
Jm Sundown: I hate ignorance and greed. I hate humanity in general, but that’s why I do what I do.

JM: Assuming you could return to any point/place in history be it centuries ago or only a few decades, where might you go and what might you do?
Jm Sundown: I’m happy right where I am. Life is a struggle no matter what point in the past or present you’re in.

JM: When not creating music what other hobbies and interests do you indulge in?
S. Ravenlord: We have our label and have also begun laying the groundwork for Deadspeak Design. I’m a movie fanatic. I have an intense passion for military history and weapons of all eras. I write for Liquid Cheese and HorrorHound Magazines. I work for Synapse Films at various Horror conventions. I also enjoy reading and being out in the woods.
Jm Sundown: I love to hike. I love being in nature and just getting away from it all. The woods are where I feel most like myself.

JM: Okay, and the must ask question. What are your five deserted island albums?
S. Ravenlord: It would be way too difficult for me to come up with only 5 albums to take with me on a deserted island. I’d rather have my guitar so that I could make my own music or play some of the music that I enjoy.
Jm Sundown: Swans: Public Castration Is A Good Idea, Darkthrone: Panzerfaust, Burzum: Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, Death In June: But What Ends When The Symbols Shatter? I don’t know. I love too much music to have a top 5.

JM: And the standard, what are your thoughts on Lunar Hypnosis?
S. Ravenlord: Your heart, dedication, and passion are clearly evident in your work with LH and I enjoy reading it whenever I can. Long may you keep it running Joe!

JM: Sithicus, JM Sundown, we’ve reached the end. I thank thee both for your time spent on this interview. The final words of wisdom and power are all yours.
S. Ravenlord: Hails to you and your great webzine Joe! Hail the WIBML and keep the grim flames burning cold and black!
Jm Sundown: Think for yourself. Be honest. Be true. Forge ahead and don’t let anyone take you down!

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Deathbed Revelation Review

Vérzivatar - Transcendent Infection (2010)

Vérzivatar is the Budapest, Hungary duo of Balázs "Hoarfrost" Caseres (drums) and Elzeril (vocals, bass and guitar) whom have both played in a number of bands during the past ten years, though out of all of them Marblebog happens to be the only one I'm familiar with. 'Transcendent Infection' is their 2010 debut through Mercenary Music after earlier releasing the demo, 'Komor felhők árnyékában' in '06 as well as a split in '07 titlted, 'Deep Horizons of Eternity.' Vérzivatar is a Hungarian word which means, bloodstorm.

Vérzivatar

Through this debut Vérzivatar takes the listener through a six song thirty four minute episode of depressive black metal, though this is quite different from the more common and generally boring Burzum-ish and Xasthur influenced filth that has become all the rage in recent years.

The music is generally played at a slower doom-ish pace with plenty of hiss and treble on the guitar, though the production is by no means bedroom or lo-fi, but definitely still underground in appearance. The music conveyed is usually of a more hopeless and quite dark character, though some of the riffs in 'Decadent March Of Purity' sound downright cheery and sort of energetic in their delivery, but that's mostly because this song has some more mid-paced parts to it while still keeping a sense of looming melancholy buried below. This particular one also has an admirable guitar solo at the end of it that sort of brings the song to an epic climax. That song aside, the record has a mostly gloomy and delirious vibe to it that alternates between slow gloom and mid-paced rage that I much enjoy.

The drum work is fairly good too, with a few fills and interesting rolls its not bad at all, though it tends to get buried under the loud guitar and vocals often. Interestingly the bass is present if you listen carefully enough and you'll notice it has a very foreboding presence. Going back to the vocals though, they are some of the most unique I've ever heard. Its hard for me to make an honest comparison without thinking of their Hungarian brother, Attila Csihar, but that's just what comes to mind. Largely though think of Attila's voice on Mayhem's 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas,' but far more raspy, screechy and generally more maniacal and you'll have an idea where Elzeril's vocals stand. On the other hand they are so strange in their delivery that I can't even tell if the lyrics are in English or Hungarian and since the booklet offers none I'm still left in the dark on the bands poetry.

'Transcendent Infection' is definitely a worthy and memorable debut, though maybe one or two more songs wouldn't have been a bad idea, but what is offered here is quite enticing. This is the bands only album so far and it should be interesting to see them expand on their next release and hopefully gain a few more listeners around their morbid sound.

Naglfar - Vittra (1995)

It often amazes how much this band/genre (and others like them) are either extremely hated or lovingly embraced. While its true that most people categorize this as melodic black metal and its influence from Dissection's, 'The Somberlain' is obvious, but at least 'Vittra,' Naglfar's debut, has more in common with the early Swedish Gothenburg scene, such as an album like In Flames 'Lunar Strain.' This is largely due to the cleaner production, overly melodic character and the lack of great atmosphere and huge bursts of speed. Nevertheless, I guess I belong more to the latter embracing view on this one as its always been a record I've enjoyed.

Naglfar in '95

Naglfar, was formed as early as '92 in Umeå, Sweden and in '94 the 'Stellae Trajectio' demo was released followed by 'Promo '95,' otherwise known as 'We are Naglfar - Fuck You!' 'Vittra' was released in May of '95 via Wrong Again Records, and it features no less than seven songs from these demos re-recorded plus two completely new songs.

'As The Twilight Gave Birth To The Night' opens with a light ambient intro before thundering into hammering drums, melodic riffs and Jens Rydén's shrieking voice and continues steadily at an energetic and mostly violently pace, though two softer spots can be found midway through with an acoustic part as well as a part near the end where synths are introduced and briefly take the forefront amongst the action. 'Enslave The Astral Fortress' has the same commanding melodic presence throughout most of the song as well as a rather killer solo followed by an atmospheric synth part midway through.

These first two songs give the listener a fair idea of what's to follow and although it doesn't get much different I'm much of the opinion that the quality remains strong for the remainder of this record. All of the songs have a good sense of melody, which to me makes the album all the more catchy with its exciting leads and occasional solos, as well with an audible and sometimes brilliant bass guitar presence there's plenty of great string action to endure. All of the songs, except for the title track, offer up a great deal of energy and chaos largely due to the string work and Jens' relentless screeches, which will be entirely hit or miss with most people. The synths rarely take the center stage and are not even used that much, but the way they linger in the background of a song like, 'Emerging From Her Weepings' is quite effective in achieving an atmosphere.

The '01 re-release adds the 'Maiden Slaughter' demo from '96 to the end and it features an early version of '12th Rising,' which would later appear on 'Diabolical,' as well two covers in the form of Iron Maiden and Kreator are included, which are both just fantastic variations of these oldies.

In the end, 'Vittra' probably isn't a black metal album, in fact the whole melodic black metal genre is pretty much fubar, but some of BM's traits are clearly there so I have no idea what to chalk it down as. What I do know is that in the ten plus years that I've been listening to this record I've never once got sick of it and while I probably prefer the follow-up more so, this one is none the less awesome in my opinion.

Darkthrone - Soulside Journey (1991)

Darkthrone is one of the most interesting and ever changing bands within the Norwegian metal scene and in a lot of ways metal in general. Originally changing drastically after their debut and the main subject of this review, 'Soulside Journey, they literally transformed (albeit just a little in some cases) from each of their first six albums before settling on a familiar formula and then once again morphing and settling once more.

I speak of the early pioneering and highly Celtic Frost inspired sound of 'A Blaze in the Northern Sky' and then the more stripped down, 'Under a Funeral Moon' and onto the primal havoc of, 'Transilvanian Hunger,' while 'Panzerfaust' was undeniably similar it brought back some of those Hellhammer/CF riffs, and finally, 'Total Death,' which is still raw and black in character, but it welcomed something of a death and thrash metal characteristic back into their music. 'Ravishing Grimness' and the following three albums all sound very similar to me and could perhaps just simply be labeled as modern, whilst 'The Cult Is Alive' took a turn towards a more punkier and honestly dull and silly direction where the band is currently still roaming about four albums deep.

Into the abyss I fall

However, this is no career retrospective here, so let's turn the clock back to 1990 when Darkthrone was but a simple death metal band. Recorded in late 1990 (but not released until January of '91) by Tomas Skogsberg in his not yet famous Sunlight Studios, 'Soulside Journey' was Darkthrone's first album after a slew of demos in the late 80's. The album is a curious mixture of metal's various sounds at the time, specifically you can hear a little bit of Entombed's, 'Left Hand Path' as well as an American influence from Death and Autopsy and even a bit of Paradise Lost's doom/death are present, likewise some very minimal nods towards Slayer and what not from the earlier half of the 80's all turn up on this one.

This was also before the band was carved down to just Fenriz and Nocturnal Culto, here joined by bassist Dag Nilsen and rhythm guitarist Ivar Enger (who'd stick it out for two more albums before disappearing). Its also got a decent production job with (get this) audible bass, though like most records of the time the sound volume is quite low.

The album opens with, 'Cromlech,' which is one of the albums highlights as well as one of many songs re-recorded from the demo days. Opening with an ominous intro the song dives into a fast paced rhythm that's got Swedish death metal wrote all over it, as well with a dash of doom, a brief synth break and a decent solo, it makes for quite a powerful opener. 'Sunrise Over Locus Mortis' moves between a similar mid-paced direction to more of a doom-ish crawl and for whatever reason I just love it when Nocturnal Culto (credited under his real name BTW) growls the song title towards the end. The title track has a very similar vibe moving between moods, whereas 'Accumulation of Generalization' is an instrumental where the band shows off their technical prowess especially well, which is sort of odd when you consider what the band would cook up soon enough.

Collectively the album runs forty one minutes while moving through eleven different songs. During that time the band takes the listener through faster to mid-paced moments and never really reaches a state of pummeling speeds or anything rock-ish in character, likewise just about every song has some doom qualities to be found. The band also tosses in a few synthesizers here and there, which aid greatly in atmosphere, generally sounding quite dark and haunting or on a song like 'Neptune Towers' they almost sound dreamy in their delivery. There's also a few clever solos to be found, none of which really blow me away, but its just one of those traits that are generally absent from most future work. Of course Nocturnal Culto also delivers the lyrics in a gravely low tone, which are somewhat understandable and also a bit unique if I do say so myself.

'Soulside Journey' is likely one of the most misunderstood Darkthrone records due to the bands fame as a pioneering black metal band, but I can honestly admit that I enjoy this one more so than 'Transilvanian Hunger,' which is one of the most overrated albums ever created. In the end this album certainly has its flaws, I mean the riffs could be more diverse and engaging at times and the solos could plow me over a bit more, but the technicality of their playing is admirable and the fact that they could have called it quits after this album and still been considered legendary in some circles is still pretty damn rad to me.

Many people know that Darkthrone would begin work on another similarly sounding album called 'Goatlord' after this, but it was of course shelved, Dag bailed on the band and the three remaining members went onto record and set the Norwegian black metal scene in motion with, 'A Blaze in the Northern Sky' a year later.'

Lakefront Brewery, Inc. - Pumpkin Lager Beer

This time of the year always offers me a variety of emotions and memories. With it being close to All Hallows' Eve I find my mind often drifting between old memories of being a kid and doing the Halloween thing; dressing up as some strange ghoul and trick-or-treating, as well as carving pumpkin's and visiting the pumpkin patch, which are all really things I don't expect to ever do again in my life. Yes, pumpkin is the flavor o' the day.

Lakefront Brewery, Inc., is a local brewer 'round my own neck of the woods that offers up a variety of interesting and often tasty brews and this is their take on the Pumpkin lager. Pumpkin pours out a golden orange color with minimal head and very little lacing, while it has a distinctively pumpkin and spicy scene that has my mouth watering already. The taste is surprisingly not as sweet as I would have expected, in fact it feels like the cinnamon overpowers the pumpkin a bit. On the back of my tongue I pick up on some clove and nutmeg notes too, but in the end it just sort of tastes like a standard lager with a little extra spice added.

This 12 oz., 6.00% ABV beer is certainly decent, it beats drinking a simple lager or pilsner, but I'd expected more sweetness and perhaps something that made me think more of pumpkin pie than spices. Overall I would probably drink it again and I'm sure it would be a hit at any Halloween party, but I'd like to think that there are better pumpkin brews out there worth discovering.

Subterranean Disposition - Subterranean Disposition (2012)

If you follow the Australian metal scene closely you might just know the bands Cryptal Darkness or The Eternal, which in this case are a few of the past bands Terry Vainoras, the mastermind of Subterranean Disposition, has played in. Subterranean Disposition was initially a follow up to the music Mark Kelson had written for his and Terry’s collaboration on the Insomnius Dei album, 'Illusions of Silence', but somewhere along the way Terry bailed and this project became his own personal undertaking.

As it turns out I do have some experience with Terry's past bands. I remember buying Cryptal Darkness', 'They Whispered You Had Risen' a million years ago based purely off of the fact that Marin Powell of My Dying Bride fame contributed violin and keyboards to it and being quite the fan of MDB's old stuff it was interesting to see Mr. Powerll doing doom again, likewise back in '04 Firebox records sent me The Eternal's debut, 'The Sombre Light of Isolation,' which I should probably re-review some day since I recall it being totally decent. I guess that still leaves me a bit behind in Terry's more recent work, but I'd best get back to the main subject of this here review.

Subterranean Disposition

It would appear doom and gloom is Terry's way because that's exactly what is presented on this five track fifty four minute debut. So, were talking death/doom here, specifically at first I'm reminded of 90's My Dying Bride material, but in a way a lot of this feels much more oppressive than MDB and although probably not as dark or melancholy it is still quite strong with these sentiments. The album sort of feels like one long song, sometimes linked together by ambient tidbits and samples, though each song also has their own identities. 'Between Apes and Angels' opens with some odd samples while a simple acoustic guitar melody runs alongside it, when eventually a gloomy repetitive riff enters before diving into the main portion of the song. Massively growled vocals and totally bleak music continue the journey as well some cleanly sung parts are also present, which tend to really remind me of Aaron from MDB's voice, though it could just be my own thought on this one. Curiously the song takes a more upbeat almost stoner doom approach mid-way through, but brings the agony back fully before ending. Speaking of which, 'Prolong the Agony' keeps the mood going well. I especially enjoy the little acoustic break and female vocals that are included in this number, which are handled by, Pheobe Pinnock, whose voice has this unusual childish sort of vibe to it that seems to go entirely too well with the music. Generally though I'm most passionate about, 'The most subtle of storms,' which is the albums epic at over fourteen minutes, it also has this progressive jazz saxophone fragment that seems quite unusual for doom/death and seems like something Ihsahn might use on one of his albums, though I'll admit it works quite well here too.

'Subterranean Disposition' isn't the sort of album that instantly grabs the attention, but rather seems to take a few listens before it all sinks in. Generally though through its oppressive nature and occasional tendencies to be a bit different you've got a solid release on your hands which is just in time for the gloom outside my window. I wouldn't chalk it down as a modern classic or even a mandatory sort of release, though if you have an affinity for all things death/doom metal you'll probably appreciate this one even more so than I would.