Opus  Diaboli  are  a  band  from  Uruguay  that  plays  a  very  raw  form  and  traditional  form  ofblack  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Black  Light  Of  Destruction"  which  will  be  released  on  May  1oth  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  The  Ritual  Productions.

    Raw  yet  melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  that  have  a  depressive  tone  to  them  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  along  with  the  music  being  heavily  rooted  in  the  second  wave  90's  tradition.

  Clean  playing  and  thunder  sounds  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  along  with  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  words  and  the  guitar  leads  also  bring  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  as  the  album  progresses  atmospheric  sounds  and  clear  singing  can  be  heard  briefly  and  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  Opus  Diaboli  plays  a  style  of  black  metal t hat  is  very  raw  while  also  having  a  depressive  edge  and  a  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  Luciferian,  Norse  Paganism,  Anti  Christianity,   Battles  and  War  themes,

  In  my  opinion  Opus  Diaboli  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  traditional  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Luciferian  Black  Light"  "Better  To  Be  A  Mortal  Than  A  Crucified  Whore"  and  "Hymn  Of  Ragnarok".  8  out  of  10.   

  Nordland  are  a  solo  project  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  raw  form  of  pagan  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "European  Paganism"  which  was  released  as a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  More  Hate  Productions.

  Thunder  and  rain  sounds  start  off  the  album  along with  some  clean  yet  distorted  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  the  music  gets  heavier  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  use  a  decent  amount of  blast  beats.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  a  more  raw  black  metal  feeling  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  first  song  is  almost  30  minutes  in  length  while  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody and  clean  pagan  vocals  are  also  used  briefly  along  with  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  the  last  track  also  adds  in a   small  amount  of  movie  samples.

 
  Nordland  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to t he  raw  style  of  pagan  black  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism  and  Misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Nordland  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Mountain".  8  out  of  10.

1.For those that have never heard of you before, van you tell us a little bit about the band?
TOTALITARIAN is an elitist black/death commando. This entity was forged in negativity that had been long in making. You can say the music, the lyrics, imagery and the philosophy, all of that is driven by hatred, and above all destined to spread nihilism.
Ok, now you tell me that all of the above is just a typical black metal cliché. If you decide to think this way, it’s fine. The truth is, if there had not been any hatred, inner negativity or nihilism, TOTALITARIAN would have never been formed.
Whatever we have created for the first album, “De Arte Tragoediae Divinae”, came right from within of each and every person involved in this incarnation. The direction had been clear, and the rest came out very naturally.
When I think of the creative process leading up to the album, I can’t help wondering how it happened that all pieces fell into the right place. That’s why I dare to use the word “destined”, as I do not see any logical or rational explanation.
Of course, this is not to say that all has been “mystical” or “esoteric” or “beyond human comprehension”, but the whole has turned out to be more than just a mere sum of all the parts involved in the process.

2.Recently you have released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
“De Arte Tragoediae Divinae” dwells in the hellscapes of the barren lands between nihilistic black and obscure death metal. Our songs are infused with droning disturbances and disturbing noises. The words are dripping with poison.
We do not aspire to create technical or even nice music. Nor do we want to be extravagant or avant-garde just for the sake of it. As a matter of fact, we do not care about things like this. Had enough of such stuff. The music needs to tell a story, it needs to resonate, deliver the right lethal ambience and grow on the listeners. It’s just one dimension, however. The beauty of obscure black / death is that you can use it to convey coherent and holistic experience and message.
In a way, each of the five songs captured on “De Arte Tragoediae Divinae” is unique in the grand scheme of things, while you can still identify a thin silver thread connecting them all. Combined together, the outcome is both massive and elusive.
It’s also very emotionally charged, that’s for sure. But not in the way you would normally think of “emotional” music. There is nothing positive to be found in our music. And it’s not meant to be. There is nothing positive about humanity. Just check the video we made for “At One With The Poisoned Seed” and you will get an idea about what is going on in our minds… And what we are talking about.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
I have mentioned a silver thread connecting all the songs. That is true not only for the music, but also for the lyrics. And the album title embodies all of that. It may not be immediately clear from the song titles or the lyrics, but there is a theme connecting all parts of the album.
The album is dedicated to Mons. Alois Hudal, a high-ranking Vatican official at a time. And there is a reason why we chose to look at this particular figure. I do not think we could have chosen anyone better to focus on. Think about him, study him, and you will understand, especially if you can’t help but love humanity.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Totalitarian'?
We’d like to think the name to be pretty self-explanatory. The history of most places in this world has been shaped by totalitarian regimes and their conflicts. This fact itself provides very fertile ground for various ideas, concepts or outcomes. One can be scared by the notion of living in a totalitarian regime, but others (or even the very same people) would be fascinated by this.
Totalitarianism is in a way an endless source of inspiration. Its various forms have also spawned some unique art, and music is no exception. We just can’t think of a better name for a band that creates the music that we thrive on and that we aspire to do.
We do believe that a band’s name should reflect what the music is about. As well as the lyrics and the concepts behind it all. In this case, the name actually helps to shape all of it at the same time. And because of the many forms that have existed in this space, this gives us immense opportunities.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Even though we all have more than sufficient experience individually when it comes to live shows, TOTALITARIAN has not been about playing live. So there is nothing to describe when it comes to stage performance. We will leave it to everyone’s imagination, to envision what the live shows could be about. The music, the lyrics and the imagery, they all do open the doors for many ideas.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
No, not really. It’s also hard to imagine TOTALITARIAN as a heavily touring band. Anyway, that has never been the idea. And we do not think it would serve the purpose either.

7.The new album was released on 'Barren Void Records', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?
Given that the very existence of Barren Void Records revolves around exclusive support for TOTALITARIAN, the answer would be yes. We do have the right people involved in this and helping us along our journey.
Believe it or not, we’ve so far been mostly fortunate and worked with the best possible people. And we’ll continue seeking for and working with whoever happens to be the best person for each particular part of our journey or mission. There is nothing more fulfilling than working with people who understand your ideas, share your artistic philosophy and who add something extra to what you have already created yourself.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
I guess when most bands get this question, they start boasting about all the positive feedback and responses. Even if it’s true, I personally find such statements sometimes somewhat empty.
So let me be frank and say that while we have certainly received some very positive comments, we’re still waiting to see what happens once the album makes its way to the broader population. Both the suspecting and unsuspecting ones.
And because “times are volatile” in the minds of some, we would not be surprised if certain people got offended by what we do. As a matter of fact, there has already been some evidence that TOTALITARIAN may be a bit controversial for a few individuals or organizations.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We do have a few ideas around this – both in terms of music and lyrics – and there is a vision for the near- as well as mid-term future, so we just need to be patient enough to let this materialize.
The time is now ripe for “De Arte Tragoediae Divinae”, so let’s focus on this album for now. When the time is right to create, announce and release another release, we will do so. But we do have an idea and we like it.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I think we are past the point when we would say we were influenced by particular bands or styles. The point is, all of us have been doing this music in one shape or another for quite some time, so it has become a part of our DNA so to say.
I would say the music is actually much more influenced by the environment we live in and also by what’s been happening inside our minds lately. Human minds can create unbelievable hell and this is exactly the gift some of us have been gifted with. Though you do not wish to go through something like this.
TOTALITARIAN is an outlet for many things. We had a vision but that vision was not linked to any specific band. We just knew what we wanted to bring and put on the table. The rest is a result of our collective creativity. As I mentioned earlier, the right people have been involved in this. And when that happens, sources of inspiration become irrelevant.
Personally, I listen to many bands nowadays. I never get tired of mind-bending black metal or death metal that explores the Depths of the Abyss. I do have my favorites in the industrial scene as well. But to make it to my playlist, bands or individual artists have to be honest, authentic and innovative. They also have to have their own opinions. And must not compromise or bow down to prevailing popular views or sentiments. And I guess this is true for the rest of the band.

11.How would you describe your views on Occultism?
What is occultism nowadays? None of us likes to be associated with anything mainstream, so you will not find us expressing views that would follow any particular trends. And let’s be honest, occultism, or at least its certain forms, has become a trend on its own.
While it may still be very appealing visually because of the imagery many bands use, the main message has been somewhat diluted by certain individuals who are dying to be thought of as occultists or dangerous people.
There are a few people who are authentic in this area and their art is a clear evidence of this fact. And we highly respect them. But would we jump on a bandwagon? While we can relate to certain ideas, we’re much more focused on the reality – of the past and the present. That gives us more than enough inspiration and food for thought. And because occultism has often played important role in shaping historical events, one can say there is still some connection.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. And hails to all those who have joined us on this journey so far. Amen.

  Freiheit  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  raw  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Madness.Hatred.Death"  which  was  released  by  Grim   Distribution.

  A  very  dark,  distorted  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  both  the  riffs  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  at  times  and  when  he  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  a  more  raw  black  metal  feeling  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  mix  in  a  decent  amount  of  old  school death  metal  elements  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem  while  on  one  track the  guitar  leads  add  in  a  more  modern  and  atmospheric  style

  Freiheit  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  raw  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  old school  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own, t he  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death  and  violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Freiheit  are  a  very  great  sounding r aw  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "C.C.C.K"  "The  Corps  Of  Death"  "Freedom"  and  "Burning  Earth".  8  out  of  10.   

  Nagaarum  are  a  solo  project  from  Hungary  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black  metal,  doom, dark  ambient  and  experimental  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  album  "Homo  Maleficus"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  by  Grimm  Distribution  and  NGC  Productions..

   Post  rock  style  melodic  guitar  leads  and  experimental  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  bass  guitars  also  sound  very  powerful  along  with  a  few  leads  and  after  awhile  heavy  guitar  riffing  is  added  onto  the recording  along  with  some  grim  black  metal s creams.

  A  great  amount  of  doom  metal  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and epic  in  length  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with a  small  amount  of  clean  singing  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Clean  guitars  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  the  riffs  utilize  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  which  also  gives  the  music  a  more  raw  black  metal  feeling  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  track  also brings  in  acoustic  guitars  and  ethnic  music  elements  as  well  as  introducing  traces  of  ambient  into  certain  sections  of  the recording  while  a  later  song  also  adds  in  a  more  depressive  edge  to  the  vocals.

   Nagaarum  plays  a  musical style  that  takes  black  metal,  doom  and  post  metal a nd  mixes  it  with  some  experimental  and  ambient  elements  to  create  something  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science,  space  and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nagaarum  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  doom,  post  metal,  experimental  and d ark  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vassal  Nevelt"  and  "Kolantar".  8  out  of  10.