Veldes is a slovenian atmospheric black metal band, founded in 2012 by Tilen Simon (Nephrolith). This project has released only one album so far. It's succesor is called 'Skyward', and it contains four new tracks.
To be honest I hadn't opportunity to listen to band's music. But the first contact with this EP was rather positive - the cover art reminded me Beksinski's works (or maybe it really is his picture?). I simply like such kind of graphics. I like also Drudkh and Wolves In The Throne Room, which defenitely inspired Veldes to compose and record. Unfortunately the music of this slovenian project is not very original. I failed to find here any element that would be surprising. The music is not bad though, especially in the slower parts - even if for most of the time it is a well-known combination: 'hypnotic, black metal riffs + some keyboard samples + typical black metal screaming manner'. Interesting though are moments in the second song 'Woe Eater', when a sound of Veldes turns more into music inspired by Solstafir from 'Svartir Sandar' album. Also ambient intro and outro is quite good - it might be great to hear more of such mixture of psychodelia and electronic stuff in the future. Those are defenitely the best fragments of this release.
From the other hand, the music has also a big flaw - I don't know how other reviewers see this, but in my opinion fast parts are annoying. I mean here especially cymbals and double foot percusion. Maybe it's a fault of bad production, but it seems to me that a drum machine replaces here a 'live' musician. And everyone knows how sound blast-beats made in computer programs - terrible!
The material is short, so I am also writing short review. Generally speaking, the content of this EP is not bad. Fans of aforementioned bands, as well as of atmospheric music in general should like 'Skyward'. I am affraid though that Veldes won't find many supporters outside those narrow circles. My advice for a future is as follows - try to more experiment in slower areas, especially with those psychedelic and ambient things. And defenitely change a sound of drums if you want to continue doing more extreme parts in the future. Now everything sounds OK, but as far as I hear it Tilen is capable to record something much better.
Arsaidh is a Scottish atmospheric black metal band, founded in 2012 by Andy Marschall (ex-Falloch, ex-Askival). In 2013 the band (or better project) changed it name to Saor - so you can find this release also under this moniker.
When I am listenning to this material I always think about other band, also from British Islands - Nhor. The music of both of these bands - Arsaidh and Nhor - has many in common. They play atmospheric black metal, but in defenitely raw version, with harsh production. Also the melancholic atmosphere of those projects makes them a bit similar. But Nhor's concept bases on nature, while Arsaidh/Saor seems to goes more into themes like proud of the scottish heritage. Not in any nationalistic way, more melancholic (or even romantic).
To be honest it's very hard to describe Arsaidh's music So let me do this in a bit different way and test your imagination. First of all - read these stanzas:
We are sorrow's children
Torn from Alba's womb
A reflection of fallen martyrs
The lifeblood of this land
'A Highland Lament' / Arsaidh
Now imagine an epic, black metal tremolo-picked riffs and middle fast drum beats. Add the vocals - extremely barbarian, which sounds like the last cry of Mel Gib... I mean, William Walace. Now, add soft, pulsatory bass, heavily exposed. And when the vocalist ends screaming those verses, imagine that the action calm a bit. The metal section is supported by many various instruments - sometimes it can be a fluet, sometimes a piano, and sometimes - remember, we're in Scotland - a bagpipes.
Got the atmosphere? Now the question is - do you like such kind of playing. If no, don't bother yourself anymore. But if you like the idea of (a bit raw) black metal, little soften by traditional celtic sounds, you should have a vital interest in buying this album. I must say that at first I was a bit sceptical, but it was more bounded with the production - a bit stifling, and very underground. I was immediately thinking 'that's notgood in this genre'. But I was wrong - in my opinion this is a big advantage, because it helps you to focus on the music. Paradoxically raw (somebody would say - bad) sound makes music much better.
Of course music on 'Roots' is not as simple as I described it - it has many relishes here and there, which is a mark of every good band in this genre. Yet I believe that at least some people who should like 'Roots' will be looking for this release after reading of my review. And I think that they won't be disappointed.
Vin de Mia Trix is an ukrainian doom/death metal band from Kyyiv. "Once Hidden From Sight" is their debut album.
First of all I must flatter their inspirations. There a lot of establishes of such a great bands like early Anathema, Katatonia or Paradise Lost. The tempos are really slow, sometimes it goes even into more funeral doom areas. But the heaviness of music is quite interesting. This is not a revolutionery thing, but it flaws nice. So the two first tracks make quite a good impression that this will be a solid portion of smart death/doom. Unfortunetely later the band turns into more Opeth-like areas. The first problem is that I am not a big Opeth fan. The second is that it's really quite boring. There are two instrumental tracks, composed with usage of piano. I don't want to write that it's a complete crap, but from the other side after one minute I started to loose the contact with a music and gave whole my attention to such an interesting stuff like walls, windows and carpet... The next track, "The Sleep of Reason" returns to more death/doom atmosphere. But sadly the than we have a show called "how indifferent can be minimalistic music played by people who don't know how to create it". It really is pointless, so why the hell had you record it?
Than we have metioned instrumental track ("La persistencia..."), much better than a previous one (and not just because it's shorter) and also the two ending tracks show those more positive side of the band. The riffs are really catchy, yet of course properly heavy. Also clean vocals makes this time a good work, giving this music a bit mysterius sound ("Metamorphosis").
This album should have "Only for a die-hard doom metal fans" sticker on it. I wish well to Vin de Mia Trix, but I don't think that I will return to this material in the future. Yet they have certain skills, so maybe if they'll drop this boring pseudo-atmospheric way of playing and focus on more death/doom style I will appreciate more their future releases.
Rate: 5/10
Vladyka
You can download the album here for free from bandcamp.
Summoning is back! This information was a great news for all of Austrian's fans, who were patiently waiting for seven years to hear any new material from this legendary band. Well, now when it's out we can at last enjoy it! Check out what Silenius and Protector had to say about their newest, great opus "Old Mornings Dawn", Tolkien's possible reaction on their creativeness and some other things.
1. Hello! First of all I’d like to ask how fans reacted on your new opus? Are they mostly positive or do you also receive some negative messages? Silenius: First of all - thanks for the interview. The reviews have been very good so far, but of course there are always some bad reviews. After all you have to devide this: those who never liked Summoning of course will not love the new one as well. And for those who have been fans for Summoning there are some „Oath Bound” followers who have been more or less disapointed by - in their oppinion less epic - mood of the album. Protector: I think it’s important that we always keep our style in one way but never copy our selves at all. Each album is focusing on total different aspect and so naturally some will like one album more and some less. Generally I made the experience that people often have to get used to the albums. A typical scenario is that people always start to like the album before the new one as soon as the new one is released. Our albums seem to be like a good wine that needs some years in the barrel to get the full taste :-)
2. By the way – when did you receive a last letter (written on paper of course ;]) from a fan? Many older musicians say that internet has totally ruined underground and people involved in it. What’s your opinion? Silenius: In former days I reveiced a lot of written letters and I of course can remember when I did all the interviews handwritten. Nowardays this nearly has died out, but never theless up and then I do receive hand written letters; mainly by older fans who want to be more personal. And I think that’s great of course, allthough it’s of course obvious that internet made a lot of things easier even for an old fashioned guy like me. Protector: Well I am a programmer and naturally very opened to technology, so for me the possibility to answer interviews and letters via email is a big step forward. I now some miss those old handwritten "personal" letters of the bands they like, but I think the only people who miss my handwritten letters are the ones who never had to read my handwrit
3. OK, but back to your band – let’s focus on your latest release „Old Mornings Dawn”. I know that the reason of the long break you took was lack of inspiration for another material. Well, I must say that it was worth to wait – new album is much better than „Oath Bound”. It also seems to be more melancholic than the previous one. How do you appreciate it now, after almost six months? Silenius: We are very satisfied with the new album, not only the songs but also the sound. We always said in interviews that compared to „Oath Bound” it has a more melancholical mood while „Oath Bound” was riding into battle with the sword hold up high heroically, the new albums has more this comming home from a battle - wounded and exhausted feeling; and I can remember that one fan said that the new album has a kind of elven feeling. I think he meant that the songs have this mood of a fading with a kind of desperate touch, compared to the elven race leaving Middle Earth. Protector: Of course we needed more time than ever before for the album, but I think it’s noticable that the listeners got more melodies and rhythms in a single album than ever before. During the long tie we gathered so many ideas that the new album is simply more intense and more filled with details than ever before. I understand that some fans like more the unclearer, less complex songs, but for us it was definitely the step in a direction we wanted.
4. I appreciate very much that you are still putting medieval/ambient elements into your music. Now they sound more synthetic than in the past, but you defenitely kept Summoning’s spirit. Why did you decide to do it again in such way? Have you ever been tempted by the idea of using loads of orchestral samples, overused by many bands nowadays? Protector: It’s strange, we never had so high quality sound samples of real instruments for our albums than on this album. While in the past I had to use the - for todays perceiving - quite cheap keyboards with short computer memory saving sound loops - while this time we only used fully recorded orchestral sound libraries. Silenius and me are quite surprised about your comment about the sound, but anways sounding synthetic is not a problem for us at all, and we never wanted to sound like classical music. It’s just a bit strange to get such a comment specially on the album with the most realistic sampler sounds.
[Well, you misunderstood me, propably because I’ve used the wrong word. Maybe not synthetic, but it has some hmm, a bit eletronic relish. It’s also being used a bit frugal, with taste. Thanks to that it doesn’t sound like many bands nowadays, which overuse it and create in fact something that sounds like a cheap orchestra, and not a metal music. Your sound is modern, yet it has an original spirit of old recordings – and I like that - Vlad.]
5. Since „Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame” your music is going into more epic areas, and at the same time less dark. Can you explain me why? Did your musical inspirations change a bit during those years? Silenius: I think that’s always a matter of individual perceiving because in my opinion the new record sounds fare more dark than for example „Oath Bound”, but I know a lot of fans who think the other way round. What is true is that after „Dol Guldur” our sound basically moved a little bit more away from the black metal influences in a more epic metal direction. Protector: As Silenius said, it’s really a matter of taste what people perceive as dark. For the black metal scene in the beginning music was most dark if it was most fast, while for me fastness was always more in contrary to darkness, while darkness for me was more connected to slowness and depression. If i look back I think that „Oath Bound” was maybe one of our less darkest album while the new one has much more of those melancholic moods. Specially the final song „Earthshine” on our new album almost sounds like a black metal funeral song to me.
6. Yet there are still some tunes inspired by the older releases. I mean especially tracks „The White Tower” and „Of Pale White Morns and Darkened Eves”. They remind me strongly „Stronghold”. So did you listen much to those old records before composing new songs? Silenius: No quite the opposite. We listen the old records after having released the new one to hear the differences in sound and vocals and again we are very astonished that you compare the new one with „Stronghold”. I think among the new reactions we got, this is absolutely unique. Because the new albums is compared with older ones then always the name „Dol Guldur” is mentioned. I think it’s because of it’s similar melancholic dark and sad feelings.
[Beside „Old Mornings Dawn” I was listenning a lot to „Stronghold” while I was writing the questions. So maybe that’s why I associated those two tracks with this album. Yet I can tell that „Dol Guldur” (along with "Nightshade Forests" EP) is also a good association – Vlad.]
7. Some of the tracks have also a bit folk relish. For example an opening of „Caradhras” reminds me a bit celtic music. Do you listen to the traditional european folk music, and can you name your favourite artists? Silenius: Yes people said, that it remind’s a bit on Loreena McKennitt and that’s true. I really like her music. Other people find some Dead Can Dance influences in the new album and I also can not deny that I listened a lot to their music in former times. Basically I think those comparisons come from the fact the this time we have chosen different world music instrument samples for this album.
8. Now a bit weird question ;]. I know that four of the songs have lyrics which are inspired by Earendil’s character. As a half-elf he could choose one of two destinies – human or elven. If you have been in his shoes what destiny would you choose and why? Silenius: Of course elven, there is no doubt. In Tolkien’s universe the elven race always was presented as the most pure, wise and fairest of all, among all others and that’s of course more attractive than everything else.
9. OK, last question about your last release. There are two guests on „Old Mornings Dawn” – David Says and Erika Szucs. Can you tell me who are those people and why did you decide to work with them? Silenius: David Says is a professional English speaker, who gave his voice to different tv-jobs like advertisments but also he spoke for computer games. We got the contact over Napalm Records and we think he really did a great job. About Erika Szucs: we can tell you that we presented her on our facebook lately. She is a women from hungary who got in contact with Protector some years ago and lent her voice for the elven spoken parts on our new album. She also did some vocals for "Redhorn" - the different version of „Caradhras” - on our earbook edition.
10. What are your plans for the future? Are you currently composing material for the new album? And what with your side-projects – Ice Ages and Kreuzweg Ost? Silenius: In the moment „Nightshade Forest” and „Oath Bound” are released on LP over Napalm Records. In the meantime we work on the missing songs from the „Old Mornings Dawn” session. I am not sure now how many songs we get out of this session, but all of them will be presented on vinyl in the end of next year and after having released all our releases on vinyl over Napalm Records next year we also will release the missing „Lost Tales” EP on vinyl too, via Napalm Records. For Ice Ages and Kreuzweg Ost we have no special plans for the near future. But both bands are still active and we definitely want to release more music somewhen in the future.
11. By the way, can I know why Protector decided to close the chapter bounded with Die Verbannten Kinder Evas? Protector: There was never a decision like that. I simply was not in the mood for that kind of music since many years by now. Noone can say if I will not once make music in that direction again, but so far I am more interessted to work on Summoning and Ice Ages because they present my current taste better.
12. Summoning is one of those bands that really knows how to create an outstanding atmosphere not only with it’s music, but also image. The layout of your albums and photo sessions proves your good taste. Is anyone of you doing something bounded with photography or graphics? I mean not necessarily professionally, but as a kind of hobby Protector: I actually like to deal with layout and photo software a lot. I like to change photos and give them special moods. But of course the result of our booklets are not only because of my technical backgrounds. It’s also the long reserch for new images that Silenius does for each release to get the most suiting pictures for the next release.
13. As we are talking about image, let me ask about it. Some people say that image has no importance at all, and the only thing that counts in music is music itself. And what’s your opinion? Silenius: That’s of course complete nonsense, because image is of course very important. The music can be as great as possible but when the presentation is bad no one is interessted to give the music a chance. You always have keep in mind that the cover layout is the first thing a potentional LP or CD buyer gets in contact with. And so the presentation must animate a potentional listener. 14. Since it’s an interview with Summoning there have to be some questions about Tolkien and fantasy literature. So let’s start with the question what was the first fantasy book you have ever read? Silenius: I can not remember exactly but I think it was some book of the female writter called "Andre Norton", but her books did not impress me at all. In those times I just bought books just if I like the cover or not because I did not know any writter and never heard for example of Tolkien or other ones. It was just a time of making experiments and slowly find out which of the fantasy literature is cool and which not.
15. I remember like once Christopher Tolkien said that his father wouldn’t enjoy the movies based on his novels if he was still alive. And how do you think he would react on your music? Silenius: I am pretty sure he would be shocked. I can not imangine that he would like black metal guitars and vocals and as he was a very christian thinking man he would absolutely be disgusted by our occult image.
16. Oh, and by the way how did you enjoy those movies? I mean especially the last one „Hobbit”. Personally I like „Lord of the Rings” trilogy, but „Hobbit” is too cartoony as on my taste. I will even not comment the fact of making another „trilogy” based on the book that has only 350 pages haha! Silenius: I know what you mean. And in some aspects you are right, but nevertheless I liked the movie a lot. You also have to remember that the hobbit originally was meant to be a book for little children and just in the end of the book it became more epic with a glimpse of what has to come in future with Lord of the Rings, so I absolutely have no problem when the new hobbit movie has some childish aspects included. 17. In the ‘90s Austria had quite a creative underground. How would you compare it to the modern austrian metal scene? Are there young bands that you would recommend? Silenius: To be honest I don’t over look too much the present metal scene in Austria. As far as I know the band "The Sorrow" have been very successfull nowadays, even if I dont know their music. I like the latest release of Rauhnacht, it’s a side project from Golden Dawn. Otherwise I can not remember any new bands nowardays, but I am pretty sure that there are a lot of them around.
18. As I mentioned Austria I will also ask something about your country’s history. In this year we are celebrating the 330th anniversary of Battle of Vienna. How do you think things would be different if the battle was lost by the european forces? Protector: Well war is always a game for the mighty ones, while the normal people like you and me have to die for it, while the people responsible for that war are never the people dying on the battle fields. Of course all those battles themes are inspring for me in Summoning as well, but I can make a clear distinction between fantasy and reality and I know in war people can not make music.
19. OK, last question will be nice and easy. You have answered many questions and did numerous number of interviews. What was the weirdest question you have ever received? Silenius: I can not remember specially any weird quetions, but what I can remember is interview questions in such a bad english that we really did not know to find out the meaning of the question. 20. OK, that’s everything from my side. Thank you very much for your precious time! Last word belongs traditionally to you. Silenius: Thanks again for the interview and a big salut to all our fans from your country.
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Official trailer for "Old Mornings Dawn":
Photos: band's archieve.
Interview by Vladyka 2013. Please do not copy this interview without HA'Z permission. Respect the copyrights!
Here on the Heathen Altar I try to write mostly about the music I personally like. I don't want to be like those internet-warriors who are spreading bullshit about some bands just because they are bored with computer games or masturbation. So, when I am lookong for some new bands to check I always try to get some information about them, just to not waste my time on something that is poor or at the best mediocre. I assume that you guessed why I started this review like that... But I wasted so much of my time (almost a month) in order to find something special on this album that I have to write what's following.
First of all, you're propably wondering what's Fen playing. Well, the band reside in England, and "Dustwalker" is their 3rd full-lenght. They are playing black metal mixed with post-rock, and they are trying to create some atmosphere. Yes, "trying". I don't know band's previous albums, but the main problem of their latest release is boredom. I can't say that they don't have skills or something - no, they have. But for me their music doesn't have balls. Fen's moving on the calm, minimalist areas, and for most of the time they sound like a post-rock band, not black metal. That's nothing bad, but as you might know many of those post-whatever bands play too sweet and too calm. And that's the main problem with Fen: after a second track I am fighting with myself to not fall asleep. I understand that music can be hypnotic, relaxing, mysterious etc. but I can't accept things like that. From time to time we can hear some interesting riff (like beginning of "Wolf Sun"), but they are drowning in the sea of mediocrity. There are moments when band tries something more progressive to get listener's attention, but I am indifferent to it like a sixty years old guy is indifferent to sex. And I could write much more how's this album mediocre for me, but Fen has sufficiently wasted my time.
If you're a fan of atmospheric post-rock, you can check this album for your own responsibility. But if you're not, let better stay away from "Dustwalker".
This is the 3rd album of the english one-man project Nhor. I've never heard about it before, but that's why Metal Archives exists, huh? So, before the listening I've learnt that the band is playing black/doom metal, with additional adjectives such as "atmospheric" and "ambient". And what it means in reality?
If you will listen to this album for the first time, you will initially get the impression that the base here is quite raw, fast black metal, mixed with many doom metal parts. That's because of the first two tracks (even if in the second track there are some female laments mixed with screeching guitar sounds). The vocals are howling like some lost forgotten sad spirit (hehe), the riffs are being played fast (but not unduly) and drums are raging in the background. Yet thanks to a specific production it doesn't sound excessively powerfull, so don't expect blasphemously strong power similar to Marduk.
Since the third track starts, "Patient Hunter, Patient Night" the music strongly slows down. Nhor starts to create more tranquil atmosphere, full of once again screeching guitar riffs and piano-like synths played on keyboard. From time to time he is breaking up again with fast blast beats and tremolo pics, only to return later again to quiter forms of expression. He often uses clean guitars, but in that kind of playing it's really nothing new; yet he's doing it with fineness, so it doesn't sounds like some cheap weeping for depressed teenagers.
Most of the tracks are really long (something about 10 minutes) and they deliberately flow, creating a nostalgic, sometimes a bit melancholic atmosphere. It sounds interesting when leisurely, blurred riffs mingle with mentioned piano-like synths and croon of a singer (in for example the track called "Rohmet Etarnu"). And to be honest I discern the main potency of this album in such tranquiled parts. The music is not very complicated (yet with relishes here and there), though it sounds very mysterious. It simply draws a listener into its own dark world, and doesn't want to release him for almost an hour.
To sum it up: the fans of minimalist, gloomy music should be interested in getting this album.So if you like that kind of playing - this is something for you.
This is the 7th album of hungarian atmospheric black metal
band Sear Bliss, known for the usage of trombone and other wind instruments.
Their previous album "The Arcane Odyssey" was a great piece of music,
so I was excpecting that the new one will be at least as good as his
predecessor. And well, it is.
It is, but it's also different. A jazzy trombone in the
first track on the album, "The Eternal Quest", was a big surprise for
me. It was also an omen that the band is going to explore some new musical
spaces. The music on "Eternal Recurrence" got more progressive than other
albums. There is less of typically black metal patents (but they are still
present in the Sear Bliss world - like a fast, aggresive part of "A Lost
Cause"). This jazzy-style is used here and there in every track, like in middle
part of "Ballad of the Shipwrecked". But despite this progression,
the tracks are not so lengthy as many prog metal albums. They are around 5-6
minutes long. And well, I think it's good - at least a band doesn't goes into
needless experiments, like many other bands do. We have just pure essence here.
Also in
"Ballad..." we can hear melancholic choirs. Thanks to them, the music
is much more spacious. My first association was Enslaved ( I mean of course
their newer stuff). They sound a bit different (hungarian has their own style
of playing, they don't need to rip off others'), but from the other side they
"work" more or less the same.
The atmosphere on SB last album is less "cosmic", but
instead is much more darker. Guitarists play progressive, yet very heavy riffs.
Listen for example opening one in "A Lost Cause" - it's genius! Together
with a weird, "haunted" tunes played on a keyboard and trombone, the
band creates in many places a very distressing, original climate. The anxiety
is even more enhanced by silent whispering and the noises, hidden in the
background in some places (like at the end of "Great Cosmic
Disorder"). The last track is full of such groans, loud at this time - it
makes a very big impression.
Few words about production: I really have no question. It's
quite similar to this from "The Arcane...", and fits the new, more
progressive face of the band very well - it's clear and gives more heaviness to
music.
After every replay grows a number of hidden things, that
come to the ear. This album is simply great, and it doesn't get boring even
after a long time. Sear Bliss created a perfect, dark and melancholic music. If
your fan of them, or of such tunes - you will love it.
Caladan Brood was formed in 2008 in Salt Lake City, and "Echeos..." is their debut album.
This album can be described in a few words - "epic", "atmosperic" and "majestic". You can also simply call the main object of musicians' inspiration - Summoning. Inspiration, not a rip-off. Music of Americans is in my opinion calmer, and it has much more folkish and ambient elements. Also as Summoning Caladan Brood guys are fascinated by fantasy novels (in this case Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson). This specific, "fantasy" atmosphere fills every track - from the most majestic "Wild Autumn Wind" to more dramatic "A Voice Born of Stone and Dust", or nostalgic "To Walk the Ashes of Dead Empires ". It's not easy though to describe this music. Every track is very long (at least 9 minutes), and is filled with many relishes, like beautiful men's clean vocals or typically heavy-metal guitar solos. All these things easily paint dreams of vast landscapes full of mountains, lakes and castles. Maybe it's overwritten, but this album is something like Lord of the Rings' soundtrack, just in metal version.
To sum this up: this is an awesome album. For everyone who likes epicness in music I have a message: get this album immediately. It's defenitely worth your time.
Rate: 9/10
Vladyka
Tracklist:
1. City of Azure Fire
2. Echoes of Battle
3. Wild Autumn Wind
4. To Walk the Ashes of Dead Empires
5. A Voice Born of Stone and Dust
6. Book of the Fallen
Welcome to the official site of Heathen Altar 'Zine.
My work is to write about epic/black/folk/pagan/ music. Of course, good music doesn't have any so-called genres, so you can also expect some other things.
Also the mission of this magazine is to spread to all european people knowledge about our pagan heritage.
And at the end, I'd like to make a statement that I DO NOT support any totalitarian ideology. Things wirtten by artists in the interviews are views of those artists. I can only ask questions here...
