Blut - Ritual and Ceremony

Written by: Nick

Another one of my recent, random purchases from Analog Worship was this tape, Ritual and Ceremony by Blut. It's from 2010 and they have since released more material but, I don't have that material so we're going with this. They apparently spew their brand of hate out from the UK. Having been engrossed in BBC lately, it was coincidental that this satisfied my particular mood.

Interview with Locrian & Mamiffer on their new release "Bless Them That Curse You"

                                                                                                                          Interview conducted by Todd


Recently I reviewed the excellent collaboration between Locrian and Mamiffer. Bless Them That Curse You is easily one of my favorite new releases this year and I can't wait to get my hands on the tape and vinyl releases. I was super excited when I was told I would get to send interview questions in regards this project. I had an unexpected surprise when I received the interview back. Members of both groups participated in answering my questions. So, before I post the interview, I just wanted to say thank you to André, Terrence and Steven of Locrian and to Faith of Mamiffer for taking time out of their very busy schedules to participate in this interview. 

Locrian/Mammifer--Bless Them That Curse You

As with any Locrian release, I'm always extremely excited to hear anything new these guys are planning to drop. I was especially excited to hear about this collaborative release with Mammifer. My mind ran wild with the possibilities of what this could be. I was extremely thrilled with the outcome. 

Misery - Miseria Aeternia

Misery are a French blackened funeral drone act. For some reason, this album, Miseria Aeternia instantly reminds me of Jack the Ripper. Y'know, legendary prostitute disfiguring guy from Whitechapel before Whitechapel stole and pissed on the name. Confused? You should be.

I can imagine myself as the ripper, decked out in a multi-piece suit with a cane, pocket watch and bowler hat, prowling through the streets of London looking for ripe whores I can entice with a few coins long enough to disembowel them in some shadowed street corner.

Circle of Eyes - Self Titled

Do you like to be tortured? In a good way?

Do you like undertones of black metal? Perhaps ambiance, or drone?

Do you like eyes, or ever wonder what a Circle of Eyes may look like?

Have you ever woke up from a tumble down a flight of stairs in a dank cellar stuffed with necrotic corpses and a suspended chandelier that was continually breaking only to find  halo of ever-gazing eyes like a Beholder from D&D (yeah, suck on that reference) floating above your pasty, balding, blood-covered head?

If you said yes to any of these things then check out: Circle of Eyes!

Hell - II

The horror! Oh, the horror! Hell II is here! Squealing, gurgling, growling, grunting, gastrointestinal-juice-projecting! If you weren't skull-fucked enough by Hell I, then strap your bulbous ass down in an electric chair and flip the switch to get those stagnant bodily fluids flowing once more. Gog, the ultimate enemies of God's people. Metnal (redirected to Xibalba, and no, not that crap-ass band), the place of fear to the Mayans, ruled by the Mayan Death Gods. Trucid, random sources lead me to believe this is to kill, or more precisely, "to slice the throat" or massacre and Umbilicus(cut the cord!). These are the titles of the four tracks of disturbed blackened doom/drone that will undoubtedly permeate the mind and body leaving the most pleasant yet unsettling feeling within you.

Locrian--The Clearing

Locrian's "The Clearing" is another record that has been on my highly anticipated release list this year. I finally got this gem in the mail yesterday, and my turntable is very pleased. I first found out about Locrian after the release of their brilliant last LP, "The Crystal World". I've been hooked ever since and there definitely seems to be no signs of this slowing down.


The album starts off with one of the more accessible tracks I've heard by this band, "Chalk Point". The track is based on a repeating phrase that starts off simply. Layer upon layer is built, bringing it to a fantastic climax. Chanted vocals round out this piece, giving a very nice lulling effect. There's nothing disturbing about this track, but it definitely puts you in the frame of mind for what's to come on the record. 

Pyramids/Horseback--A Throne Without A King

To say that I was excited for this release would definitely be an understatement. Ever since first hearing Horseback last year, I have gone out of my way to find every release by them. So, when this went up for pre-order on Hydra Head, I jumped all over it. After what seemed like an eternity, it finally showed up today. All I can say is, I'm floored. 


I should clarify the format of this album before I start rattling on about it. The album is unique in that each band has an individual track on a 7" included, which starts the album. Then the LP is a collaborative piece in 4 parts, which share the title of the album.

Graad - S/T review

Too many bands attach drone to the musical tag they are most associated with. Its a term and addendum to sound used far too often. Its somewhat of a misnomer in this case. The band in this case is Graad, the one man Bolognese black metal band.

Helmed by Boulevard Pasteur in every aspect. Graad's riffs are excellent. The drums are competent. The noise aspect is downplayed, but effective. The vocals are blackened howls befitting any band in the upper echelon of black metals finest. I have to wonder if this should be a full band. I suppose that touring as a black metal band  = Less Cvlt. Fair enough.

Graad's songs themselves come together very well. The intro, while unnecessary, conveys the usual bleak atmosphere you come to expect. Holwing winds and whatnot. OK.
Which leads us to Faust. Beginning with a bleak howl to the anti-gods, we're starting off well. Segue into a riff that would not be out of place on a Drudkh album (I love me some Drudkh). The drums speed up, so does the riff, and the howling. Graad is feeling it. The howling, oh the howling. Ending with some beautiful, stand alone picking. Not bad.
The third track is where Graad excels. Every Night We Set Fires leads off with what can only be described as a Tragedy riff. Nice. I respect that. It returns throughout the song, adding guitars that rise triumphantly towards the Dissection scorched heavens. Very. Satisfying.
Track 4 is untitled. It shows them attempting drone. While not by any means bad, it simply feels like an interlude. Until, the sample comes in, that is. The cyclical riff, the pounding drums, the claustrophobia.

Drear - We Will Use Your Blood for Fertilizer / Promo 2007 Review

First of all - I owe a massive apology to these gentlemen for having put off this review for what seems like years, and actually is in the case of the promo…but I wasn’t here then. Anyhow, this is a two-for-one deal, Drear’s Promo from 2007 as well as their album We Will Use Your Blood for Fertilizer, both of which can be found on the band’s Band Camp page and both of which I’ve combined together in the review.
Drear make me think of wandering down a long corridor. The only things to be seen are flickering lights and

Hell - I

All the typical things of a black drone album come to mind with Hell, haunting, evil, chills, anger and greatness. But, the fact of the matter is that unlike a lot of the same ‘ol thing repackaged, “I” is actually addicting and memorable. Like a version of Dragged into Sunlight, but at the same time totally unique to their own. Walls of thick guitar work crush

Mhönos

Here we have it folks, the first review of the site.

Mhönos started out as a one-man-band hailing from Rouen, France. The first album, and one which will be discussed, is entitled, "Miserere Nostri."

This whole album was done by Frater Stéphane, the founder of the group and recorded via a portable studio set up (later mastered in a professional studio). Strangely, or awesomely, however you want to look at it, this whole album was recorded in a small chapel, The Chapel of Sainte Croix,(or "Holy Cross" in English)