In the past twenty years, Saarland-based act Old Pagan did release quite some stuff, amongst three full length studio albums; this review deals with the latest one the band did. The experienced band (the members are involved with several other notorious underground bands) took a break during the second half of last decade, but since a couple of years they seem to even more productive / active than ever before.
Next year French act Maïeutiste will celebrate its tenth anniversary, but throughout all those years, these guys have not been that active at all. Now, nine years after their formation, they finally come up with the nameless debut full length album, which gets offered to the (grateful?) audience by the sublime French label Les Acteurs De L’Ombre Productions. The recording session took place as from 2009 up to 2014, with recording and mixing assistance of Ari Lausseur.
Sacred Sin were / are one of the best known bands from Portugal, initially formed in 1991. They debuted in 1992 with the EP The Shades Behind, followed one year later by their full length debut Darkside (via Portuguese label Musica Alternativa).
Boar are a band from Oulu, Finland, formed at the end of last decade. They recorded and released a couple of cassettes / EP’s and contributed on some splits, and they performed live on stage with the likes of Conan, Weedeater or Dark Buddha Rising. Last year they started recording Veneficae at their own studio Stoner Katakombs Of Doom. Seen the name of their studio, and seen the label they have released their debut on, you can guess what kind of sonic pleasure this band does perform, I think.
Ether are an outfit from Canadian guy Scythrawl, whom you might know as well from several great projects such as Unquintessence, Nefastus Dies or Trails Of Anguish. Under this moniker’s name, Scythrawl did release a first album about eight years ago, called Deprived, Repressed Feelings. Those who know, and appreciate that first effort, will certainly be pleased with the sophomore album, Hymns Of Failure, a double-CD with six pieces that last for ninety (!) minutes.
Greek outfit Diabolical Principles is a project by members of e.g. Mortuus Caelum and Divine Blasphemy. Throughout the past decade, they released a handful of stuff, and now they return with the third full length, which is called The Final Step Before The Dawn. The material was produced, engineered, mixed and mastered at the Abyssal Studio and Studio 5 by main members Gareth and Geegor, and the result lasts for sixty two (!) minutes.
I was quite surprised, but I did listen two or three times to Reverie’s debut album Bliss before I noticed that the members involved are younger than twenty years of age! What a maturity they do inherit; it’s truly remarkable! There were two demonstrational recordings before, but I am pretty sure that there is much more professionally recorded material to come. But let’s not run too fast, and focus on the first-things-first principle.
On June 8th 2015 Concreteweb did upload my review for Transmissions, a split in between Finnish act Moonkult and Hungarian one-man combo Solus. With certainty the latter was the best out of two on the split, at least to my humble (and totally subjective) opinion. I did have one remark (which did eventually influence my score) and that was the inferior sound quality.
Solitvdo are an Italian one-man act which I hadn’t heard of before. Apparently there was one single demo before, and Immerso In Un Bosco Di Querce is the first full recording. The material was released on tape in September 2014 via Eremita Produzioni, and on CD (digipack) in December 2014 via Naturmacht Productions. And for sure this material fits to the label’s roster, known for integrity and introspection, nature and purity, translated into a black-edged aural square.
Drawn Into Descent are a new band from the city of Mechelen (Flemish part of Belgium), formed after the demise of Galgenveld.
