Ivan Tibos.

With some delay, this album came my way (initially send to the former boss of this webzine, my dear friend, who passed away) – but hey, never mind, because it is never too late to express appreciation.

Maybe a strange one on this site, but seen the label involved, I think it was my duty to write down my thoughts on this recording, for both label and the band do deserve some additional support and promotion for sure.

Driven by a vision to support the Underground, I am open-minded in a sense that I do not limit myself to review new material only. Most labels I am working with do know that. And more than often I get in touch with an older release that is simply worth being experienced. In this review’s case, I want to refer to the fabulous – yet way too underestimated – label Drone Records, and the Ctephin release DUAD.

Égrégore gets released as a Common Eider, King Eider release, but a little nuance is appropriate.

First I have to make a confession. I did not know this band from Belarus. Seriously, I had not heard of Reido before. And you know, I am gonna make it up all right, because this release… Nope, first things first.

I’d like to start with a sad announcement. No, wrong, I actually wish I did not need to announce this. But apparently Woebegone Obscured decided to split up last year. A moment of doom and woe. And damn, it does fit to their last effort, which was (and still is) called The Forestroamer.

Lauxnos is the name of a Russian project, which was formed in 2013 by multi-instrumentalist Kirill ‘Katharos’ Andreevich, who is (or was) active as well in outfits like K.M., Hyperborean Frost, Emptiness Soul, Sona Nil or The Happiness Cage, amongst others.

For those who congregate in darkness…

Hailing from Greece, The Serpent is a project that perfectly fits to the roster of New Mexico’s Noctivagant Collective, known for its mystic, occult and mythological themes. I haven’t received, nor found, any additional information about this project, but I will delve deeper into the matter soon (though, that’s a personal thing). Now, time to focus on Ascending Duat, a four-track recording and The Serpent’s debut for Noctivagant Collective.

With some delay…

The first time I heard something by Kuiluun Alus must be, I think, via the split this act did with the likes of That With Tusks, Lavatone, Gnomes and Master Toad. Some of those projects I was trusted with, but Kuiluun Alus did impress me a lot, even though I had not met this project before. A pity, for this material seemed to be quite impressive.

Sometimes I prefer to keep it simple and short, for the sonic terror must do the talking. This surely goes for this release, called Corrupt, which is the second full length studio album by Moscow-based act Educated Scum. The band is active for about two decades, but they did not create that much stuff. Their former studio recording dates from 2011 (called React, by the way), and afterwards there was just a compilation (link for the review on that album, see below) and a live registration.