Immortal Frost Productions

~~Mark ‘Hellcommander Vargblood’ Azzopardi is a (talented) musician from Malta. He was involved with acts such as legendary X-Vandals (for sure one of the oldest bands ever from those Mediterranean islands, once formed as Vandals), Hell Rats and Martyrium. However, he is the very same guy behind mighty Draugûl, one of the several superb projects on Pesttanz Klangschmiede. I wrote two reviews for this solo-outfit in the past, and in a near future I will write one on the third full length album too – but that’s not relevant right now. Just stay attentive.

In a couple of days I will publish the review for Khaospath’s …For The Devil Speaks The Truth, their latest record, released via Belgium’s Immortal Frost Productions (don’t miss it!), but first I’ll focus on the former full length by these Swedes (actually, the origins lie in Malta). I know that this is an ‘older’ recording in mean time, but then again: it is never, and I repeat: NEVER, too late to give some additional promotion and attention to great material!

Astral Winter are an outfit by Josh Young, quite a young guy from the Australian island Tasmania.

If you believe it or not (not that I do care about what you believe), but there sort of is a small and hidden yet highly impressive scene in Iran. Personally I owe (and appreciate) stuff from ‘out there’ within several of my favourite aural genres, like Drone / Dark Ambient (such as Xerxes The Dark, Alphaxone, Porya Hatami) and (different kinds of) Black Metal (Ekove Efrits, Margg, Silent Path, Aras, Nathorg, …), amongst others.

Two years after their great debut EP The Abyss (you can still read the review posted on March 26^th 2015; just enter the band’s name in the ‘search’-tab on top at the right), Belgian combo Ars Veneficium, an outfit that includes Immortal Frost Productions’ label owner S., return with the debut full length album. I did truly adore that first effort, and it was not just a lucky shot.

You know, it’s somewhat confusing to notice that Finnish duo Oath do not release their newest creation via Patologian Laboratorio Recordings. The latter is a label run by Aki ‘Grim666’ Klemm, who is part of many projects and bands that release their stuff via that label especially – think Kalmankantaja, Lathspell, Grimirg, Order Of The White Hand and many more.

Ius Vitae Necisque is the third result of an unholy marriage in between Tasman-based act Atra Vetosus and Belgian label Immortal Frost Productions, after 2011’s A Palace Shrouded In Emptiness and 2013’s Voices From The Eternal Night (a review for that release, by the way, was put online on September 9^th 2014).

You know (or you do not, but then you will know it as from now on) that I do have a (not that secret) appreciation for Belgian label Immortal Frost Productions, run by Ars Veneficium’s chanteur S. It’s the qualitative result for each release that impresses me a lot.

Drawn Into Descent are a new band from the city of Mechelen (Flemish part of Belgium), formed after the demise of Galgenveld.

This split release was one I did look forward to for quite some time. Main reason, of course, is the collaboration of two bands I do sort of adore. Besides, it is the first (and until now, the only) vinyl release on Belgian top-label Immortal Frost Productions.