CD

[review for an older release (November 2022) yet of such high qualitative level]

This review does not deal with a new recording. It’s all about a physical re-release of an album from just a few minutes ago (ironic-looking smiley included); a release by an act that might be, for what it’s worth, one of my personal greatest surprises / experiences lately: the Brazilian, or is it Canadian, outfit Móđir, curated by Lady IO.

Location: Singapore

Members: Andi (the talking that accompanies the dead into the Lahad = lead vocals) / Khairil (the emptiness upon excavation of Kubur = all guitars) / Edi (the embedding of the Nisan = drums & percussions)

Formed: 1991-1993 / 1999-now

Recorded: at Studio 47 by Nizam Aziz

Artwork: Armaada Art (Andreas Christanetoff)

Format: jewel-box CD with twelve-page booklet & digital

Edition: 1,000 copies

Location: Ukraine

Members (sort of anonymous): M. (guitars) / J. (drums) / V. (bass) / A. (vocals, synths)

Mix / recording studio: Forest Den Studio

Artwork: Hellcatfairy Art (logo: Paint-It-Black Design)

Type: jewel-box with eight-page booklet

Edition: 500 copies

Duration: 37:29 minutes

Genre: Second Wave Black Metal

The power of the will directs the destiny. And so, in the perpetual cycle of life and death that defines the tragic fate of the human, a gloomy epilogue can unexpectedly lead to an auspicious prologue…

Apparently, Cromworx is a solo-outfit by Grom, part of the original line-up of Slovakian Gothic Metal act Orkrist. They were active – and quite ‘popular’ – at the very beginning of this millennium, and after a pretty long ‘break’ they sort of returned a couple of years ago.

Dutch act Infinity started almost three decades ago and still consists of two of the original members: Draconis (okay, he left this project for a while) and Balgradon Xul. During the first decade of this millennium, they did record four albums, yet as from then on, they did take their time before releasing new material. In this case, we, the impatient audience, had never awaited so long, for it has been six years (and a couple of times) before we could now, finally, bit welcome to this band’s seventh full-length studio album.

I think it would be a waste of (my precious) time to introduce Pantheïst (or Pantheist, without the diaeresis on the ‘I’), for this is one of the most influential acts on our fabulous Planet within doomed and melancholic spheres. It’s the main act of Kostas Panagiotou, whom you might know as well from Sermones Ad Mortuos, Wijlen Wij (unfortunately defunct), Towards Atlantis Lights, Landskap or Aphonic Threnody (ex), amongst others.

I remember being positively surprised by Whisper A Red Voice, an experimental and obscure Industrial / Ambient / Noise release from early 2022. So, my enthusiasm was quite triggered when I read somewhere that the project behind that release, with the cool name She The Throne, did release some new material recently. In August 2023 there was the independently-released EP Orion, and shortly after it got followed by a lengthier album, called Nuntis.

Since I was quite impressed by Blood Oath and (especially) by With Hoof And Horn, I did look forward to listening to this newest album by the trio Rituals Of The Dead Hand. Well, after a couple of listens, my appreciation for this act has not disappeared; on the contrary.