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.
Last year I came in touch with Alexey ‘Satanath’ Korolyov, the extremely friendly youngster behind the truly fabulous label Satanath Records. It’s not only the label’s roster that impresses me (with so many great bands and projects from different dark-edged genres, cf. Death, Black and Thrash Metal, Grindcore, Ambient and Doom), yet even the website is extremely professional; truly a pleasure to visit (you can find the link in our ‘Links’-tab – makes sense, I think…). And besides, very recently the label released its 100th recording.
Italy’s Fides Inversa (which includes some highly-experienced names from the Extreme Metal scene!) debuted in 2009 with the Osmose Productions-released full length Hanc Aciem Sola Retundit Virtus (The Algolagnia Divine). Since then, there were no more official releases, but Fides Inversa played live all over European soil. Now, finally, it is time to experience this band’s second opus, and their debut for top-label World Terror Committee aka W.T.C. Productions.
Fatum Elisum are a band from the city of Rouen, in the North of France, formed in 2007 in order to pay tribute (not just as another cover band) to the likes of Saint Vitus, My Dying bride, Esoteric, Paradise Lost, Hellhammer / Celtic Frost, Cathedral etc.; things that are as poundingly slow as they are heavy… They were created as well to pay honour to literary masterminds like Nietzsche, Baudelaire, Villon,
