CD

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.

Although their first album was released in 2013, followed by another album in 2019, I had never

before heard of this band, who hails from Portugal. And a rather pleasant surprise for me it was,

discovering this band.

How to classify their music ? Well, it’s got elements of progressive metal, but it’s far for what you’d

expect if your vision of progressive metal is bands like Dream Theater and Queensrÿche, to name but

two of the well known bands. Apotheus music is not as intricate as the beformentioned bands, but is

[review for a release that is more than two years of age, yet since it is never, ever, too late to focus on worthy stuff / and because of my appreciation for the label involved…]

Location: Medellin, Colombia

Members: Domos Aidaou (vocals & guitars), Maldito (bass), GoreRoman (guitars), Cadáver (drums)

Recorded: 11/2020-05/2021

Production, mix, mastering: Alvaro Alvarez (Nebuloza Producciones)

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Members: Harlow MacFarlane (Funerary Call, Grey Towers Stone Temples, Between Voices, Sistrenatus, A Thousand Plateaus etc.)

Production: Harlow MacFarlane

Mastering: James Plotkin

Artwork: Lindsey Roderick

Type: compact-disc (300 copies) in LP-like format

Duration: 35:53 minutes

Genre: Industrial Horror Ambient

Drifting into the sacred ocean of creation through the symbolic imagery of death…

Country (for what it’s worth): Russia (Ord) & U.S. (Demonologists)

Members: Ord Err (Ord), Cory Rowell (Demonologists), Evan Price (Demonologists)

Production: Ord & Demonologists

Mix: Andrey Volkov / Ord Err / Evan Price