When I saw the title of this album, I wondered what was going on, what was coming next. I do ‘follow’ French act Monolithe as from their first album, which was called I (2003), and their next releases were called, indeed, II, III (review posted on February 6th 2013) and IV (see update on October 26th 2013).
Two years ago I reviewed a split called Triunity with bands / projects from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus (via Casus Belli Musica), but that has nothing to do with this split-release, which is a French co-operation.
I was quite surprised when I received this album, because Debemur Morti Productions are a label I do refer to Black Metal in general, and Tamerlan are an acoustic Neo-Folk project. Yet at the other hand, the border in between (Black) Metal and Neo-Folk isn’t but an imaginary and subjective element. Okay, the Music itself does differ, but there are lots of connections in between both genres: shared artists / musicians, comparable lyrical concepts and, of course, many other labels that do house bands and projects from both these aural styles.
Formed in 2001, Finland's October Falls was originally a solo vehicle for Mikko Lehto. Drawn by nature's mysticism, his compositions were to be seen like sonic explorations of the Earth during his walks through the woods.
I won’t spend my time on a lengthy, deepening introduction. Check out the .net or the reviews I did on the newest Lethe-album (posted on March 13th 2014) or Manii’s last year’s full length debut (see update January 8th 2013).
Lethe are an unusual project with some well-known members: Tor-Helge ‘Cernunnos’ Skei (music and lyrics, bass and guitars, programming and synth, production), known from e.g. Manes / Manii, Atrox or Norwegian Suffocation, and Nucleus Torn / Eluveitie’s Anna Murphy (music and lyrics, vocals, bass, programming, piano, production and mix).
French act Dirge is about to celebrate its twentieth anniversary (!). A first result of this upcoming party is the release of the band’s sixth album, Hyperion, which was recorded and mixed by original member Marc T., and mastered by Nicolas Dick (known as well from Kill The Thrill, and collaborating on this album as guest too, by the way, besides Lycia’s Tara Vanflower and Milena Rousseau of Miroda-fame).
Without any doubt, the duo Ævangelist (multi-instrumentalist, composer, lyricist, producer, engineer and mixer Matron Thorn and vocalist / lyricist / music co-writer / co-engineer Ascaris) created (one of) my absolute 2012-Number One-album (s) De Masticatione Mortuorum In Tumulis (via I, Voidhanger Records).
Bordeaux… I do appreciate some of the wines coming from that era, even though not every sub-region out there can completely please me (I am a connoisseur-amateur, with a profound passion for wines and distillates, but that’s another story). However, there’s another Bordeaux-based existence I do appreciate enormously: Year Of No Light. This band was formed at the beginning of this century and they did record a handful of highly acceptable releases with a mostly breath-taking atmosphere.
This Philadelphia based band may be relatively new to many European Post-Metal/ Post-Hardcore fans, but Rosetta has apparently been about for a decade now, and in that time they already delivered 3 full-length albums prior to this newest one. They have a funny bio, which I didn't have the heart to keep from the reader...
