Desdemonia are one of the (very) few bands from Luxembourg, formed two decades ago. Throughout the years, they played live on stage a lot with some ‘big’ names, such as Dying Fetus, Fleshcrawl, Soilwork, Enthroned, Mayhem and many more. In 1998 they released a first album, called Same (independent), but my first acquaintance was in 2001, when this band released their second studio full length, called Paralyzed (September 25th 2001).
Well, I did know the label Nulll Records, so when I heard about a band called The Nulll Collective, a voice in my head, one of the many ones, started shouting around: ‘pay attention! pay attention!’. Next step, seeing this project being signed to Aesthetic Death… Okay, this cannot be a coincidence anymore… This must be something Stijn Van Cauter being involved with! And indeed, this great Belgian musician is one of the guys behind The Nulll Collective.
Serpent Seed are a pretty young Polish act (formed in 2012), with e.g. former Iugulatus and current Slain-drummer Wojtass in their ranks. They debut with Debris Of Faith, an album that lasts for thirty eight minutes, and that gets released by two Polish labels, The End Of Time Records and Under The Tyrant’s Banner Prod.
Anthems For The Easily Offended is the first official recording for Austrian act Progeria Buffet, if I am not mistaken. Seen the band’s logo and the band’s moniker, I had an idea what kind of lullabies they would create. And then, if you see the lay-out (cover painting, drawings inside the booklet, and especially the body-like pictures), I’m even more sure.
This review deals not with the Portuguese DSBM-band Nyctophilia, but with the Latvian one, dwelling within the same emotional / aural atmospheres. It’s a very young formation that recorded a first EP at the DMX Sound Records studio. For the release of this four-tracker, Nyctophilia joined forces with young German label Weltfeind, created to support ‘Depressive Underground Music’ of all kinds.
J Orphic are an Italian solo-outfit of Marco de Marco, hailing from the city of Milan. Under this moniker, Marco released two albums before (Sulla Terra via DNA Productions in 2009, and Cum Ipse Gratia one year later, via Ufa Muzak), as well as a split on SkullLine (2009) with French act Jörvallr (the latter did release material via Castellum Stoufenburc before as well, by the way).
Grindhead Records have proven before to have a good nose for signing pretty nasty and ugly combos (evidently often from Australian soil). Recently they teamed up with young Australian five-piece Infested Entrails (now with a new bass player). Shortly after they were formed, Infested Entrails recorded and released an EP, and Defiling A Piece Of The Deceased is their debut full length studio recording. This album clocks just over half an hour and has some of the EP-tracks being recorded again.
One of the oldest still-existing Black Metal formations from The Netherlands is Countess, formed in 1992 by multi-instrumentalist / vocalist Zenon and synth-meister Vercingetorix. The both released a first demo (tape) in 1992, before they were joined by Orlok, shortly after he left the great band (and I do mean that, though apparently not many people share this opinion) Fallen Temple. In mean time, both founding members left, and Orlok is the driving force since.
Those who are trusted with Usurpress’ former material might be ‘shocked’, because Ordained did progress quite a lot since 2012’s Trenches Of The Underworld or last year’s split with Bent Sea (which I did like a lot; see review updated on February 23rd 2014). Hell yeah, of course I am exaggerating, but keep this fact in mind, will you.
Milan-based band Evilspell was formed in 2006 in order to pay tribute to the old schooled Speed / Thrash genre. Throughout the years, their sound became little more grim and blackened, yet without forgetting the roots of All Evil. After two demos they released their debut in 2010 (Antisocial Satan, self-released, and re-issued in 2013), and at the very end of 2013 their second album, Necrology, got released.
