Feral  are  a  solo  project  from Tabusintac,  New  Brunswick, Canada that  has been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  raw  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2016  single  "While  Flowers  Die".

  Acoustic  guitars  start off  the  song  giving  the  music  a  medieval  feeling  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  high  pitched  black  metal  and  the  track  is  over  6  minutes  in  length  and  the  song  also  brings  in  a  very  raw  and  old  school  feeling  while  also  sticking  mostly  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  song  and  the  acoustics  also  return  at  the  end.  

  Feral  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  on  this  song  that  is  very  melodic  and  epic  while  still  having  some  of  the  more  raw  edge  that  was  established  on  the  previous  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  yet  heavy  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  Celtic  Occultism.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Feral  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  pagan  or  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out t his  track.  8/5  out of  10.

https://feral2.bandcamp.com/

  Finland's  solo  project  Spiritwood  have  returned  with  a  new  ep  which  continues  the  ambient  and  atmospheric  black  metal  style  of  previous  recordings  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  ep  "IV"  which  was  released  by  Wolfrune  Worxx.

  A very  powerful  synth  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  almost  has  a classical  music  feeling  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sound  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  having  some  grim  yet  high  pitched black  metal  screams  making  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melodic  riffing.

  When t he  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  a  raw  black  metal  feeling  while  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  also  incorporates  a  great amount of  ambient  elements  and  most  of t he  songs  stick  to  a  slow  musical  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  Spiritwood  plays  a  style  of  ambient  black  metal  on  this  recording  that  is  very  epic  and  atmospheric  while  also  having  its  rawer  moments,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Spiritwood  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient  and  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Ultimate  Circle  Of  The  Moon"  and  "Arcane  Monarchy  Of  the  Mirage-Like  Multiuniverse".  8 out  of  10. 

  This  is a  review of  a  split  album  between  West  Virginia's  Torrid  Husk  and  Greece's  End  called "Swallow  Matewon"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Grimoire  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Torrid  Husk  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  melodic  and  depressive  style  of  black  metal  with  some elements  of  sludge.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  melodic  and  raw  black  metal  sound  that  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  and you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  their side  of  the  recording  and  after  awhile  grim  screams  are  added  into  the  music.

  The  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  growls  along  with  melodic  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  there  is  also  a  brief use  of  clean  guitars  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  getting  more  depressive  and  all  3  of t heir  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  slower  sections of t he  songs  bring  in  elements  of  sludge.

  Torrid  Husk  on  this  recording  takes  the  raw,  melodic  and depressive  sides  of  black  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  a  touch  of  sludge  to  create  something  very  different, the  production  sounds  very  raw  yet  powerful  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is another  great  sounding  recording  from  Torrid  Husk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  melodic  and  depressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.

  Next  up  is  End  a  band  that  has  had  an  album  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  avant  garde  sounds  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  direction  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording  and  the  vocals a re  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  and  thunder  sounds  along  with  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Most  of  their  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  during  the  faster  sections  of  the songs  tremolo  picking  along  with  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a   raw  black  metal  feeling  and  the  guitar  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  getting  more  atmospheric  along  with  a  small  amount  of  clean  guitars  and  they  close  their  side  of  the  split  with  a  cover  of  Amebix's  "Winter".

  End  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  on  this  recording t hat  has  its  traditional  and  raw  moments  while  also  getting  very  atmospheric  at  times,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  existentialism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  End  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Virga".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  raw,  atmospheric,  melodic  and  depressive  black  metal.  8  out  of  10.

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

As “Nur ein Moment…” is our first album that was not mixed at the same place as it was recorded we mainly worked with different technicians to find the best possibly mix for the album during the last year which we found with Daniel Heyn.

2.You have a new album coming out in August, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from thestuff you have released in the past?

I think sound wise we finally established a good identity for Frigoris on our last album “Wind” so I mainly focused on further developing this basis. I improved my songwriting while adding some more elements from Doom Metal and Post Rock. The result is a more rounded and complex album with lengthier songs that still inherited the soul of Frigoris.

3.This is the first album to come out in 3years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

We played a lot of live shows to promote “Wind” but this is not the reason it took us so long to release our next album. “Nur ein Moment…” was already finished in late 2014 but we took a very long time with the mix of the album to guarantee a good sound for the material.

4.The lyrics on the new recording are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the song writing?

What differed from our normal songwriting was the fact that this time the lyrical concept was the first thing that was sketched out. Normally I think about lyrics when the songs are finished. This made the songwriting a bit more complex as I needed to find a mode where the music fitted the lyrics but the lyrics didn’t interfere with the freedom necessary for writing good and interesting music. It turned out very satisfying but exhausting.

5.In the beginning the band had more Pagan orientated lyrics, does Paganism still have any role in your music?

Real Paganism was only featured in our very early songs – our demo and a few early songs of “Nach dem Krieg…”. In that period I was still very young and didn’t really care about the lyrics too much. I let myself inspire by the bands I listened to at that time which were mainly Pagan Metal bands and so it came naturally to me to also write about those topics. Since the later stages of the songwriting to “Nach dem Krieg…” the only thing left that might be associated with Paganism is my use of nature metaphors and at the very latest with “Wind” I have nothing Pagan in mind while writing lyrics.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Frigoris'?

Frigoris is Latin and means “of frost”. Its meaning for the band changed with us over the years and nowadays I would associate the coldness of society which I reflect in the lyrics and music with it. Frigoris is a means to comment on our world in different ways and as my view of it changes so does the meaning of the band’s name for me.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Our stage performance has improved a lot over the years and I’m very happy with the line-up we gathered since our latest addition Maximilian in early 2013. We found a good routine and are able to perform a good show every time we enter the stage. Especially our shows last year were great and we had a lot of fun with our fans and with the other bands at Heathen Rock Festival, Wave-Gotik Treffen and the Grabkabinett shows.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

We are planning a few single shows at the end of the year which will be revealed soon. We made a longer live pause to concentrate on the finishing and release of “Nur ein Moment…” but we will play more regularly next year.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?

“Wind” received great responses worldwide by fans and press but we know that we play music that does not appeal to a very large group so it is hard for us to get live shows outside of Germany at the moment. The progress is slow but steady and we grow with time and hope to reach even more people with “Nur ein Moment…”.

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

Caradras and Infesting Swarm are near to finishing new releases that will hopefully come out next year and Iapetos is planning some of their very few live shows in the next time.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

My songwriting is far from perfect so I will try to further refine it. At the same time I think that our next release may contain one or two experiments on the outer rings of our musical range as well as a bit shorter songs. But luckily (or unfortunately) I can’t change who I am and so the typical Frigoris sound will still be heard on every future release.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

During the time when the new material was written I did listen to a lot of Porcupine Tree, Anathema and Katatonia and actually didn’t really listen to black metal at all – with a few exceptions like Deafheaven. This is a development for a few years now although my listening is quite balanced at the moment and lately I grow fonder of a few old loves like Nagelfar again.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Music is a very time consuming hobby but I use a lot of time reading.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank you for the interview and a very special thanks to all our fans that supported us for so long!

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
GVD: Writing and rehearsing a new album.
SW: Yes, this will be our 3rd album. About 60% complete in writing/rehearsing.
BG: Constant complaining between S&G about difficult riffs.

2.Your last album was released in 2014, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
GVD: Blackened Death Metal with some thrash thrown in. Each recording is a progression. The overall style hasn't changed much in 20 years, but we try to write better riffs and song structures each time.
SW: The writing improves on each successive record/EP. The overall sound kind of happens by chance. No real pre-conceived ideas about it. Loose ideas of tone here and there.
BG: Black/Death/Thrash hybrid. Pure old school worship.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your newer music?
GVD: Religion, The fine line between sanity and insanity, I use some books, TV shows and movies as inspiration, etc.
SW: When I did write lyrics, which I no longer do, it was all odd topics like jealousy & depression explained using metaphors... and ghost stories or something occult.
BG: I don't write lyrics. G is the lyrical mastermind behind Vahrzaw.

4.In the earlier years the band had plenty of many different name changes, what was the cause of having many different names?
GVD: We didn't like the names we came up with. Eventually had to settle on one because we got a deal with Dark Oceans Productions.
SW: To be fair, if we never mentioned the name changes in our bio no-one would've ever known. They lasted a few weeks at best. Plus they were shit.
BG: I was yet to be born.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Vahrzaw'?
GVD: I can't remember. I think it's a demon, but I have no memory of where we saw it...or which one of us discovered it.
SW: Total blank. It was 22 years ago & none of us have seen or read it since. An old zine mentions it's a demon at the right hand of the devil... but I have no idea if that's true. It's unique though, albeit spelled incorrectly on every show flyer.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
GVD: Description: Controlled chaos...there's always a chance it'll all fall apart mid-song. To be honest, the gigs all blur together for me.
SW: We don't fuck about with theatrics and props or clothing, just rip through the set.
1 in 3 shows in usually really good but I couldn't pick a 'best'. The ones where we make money, the mixer is competent and the crowd is energetic are the best of course.
BG: 'When Terror Unites' in 2014 was one of the highlight gigs personally. Good bands and a good promoter, so it worked out to be a good night. Stage performance, well we just get up, do what we have to do, and fuck off. No theatrics bullshit nonsense.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
GVD: No. Writing and recording takes priority at the moment.
SW: No shows until the album is complete then we might do a few to promote and sell some copies. We don't tour, Australia is fucking big and expensive to traverse.
BG: No. Getting out the new album is the main focus right now.

8.The 2014 album was recently re-issued through 'Blood Harvest', can you tell us a little bit more about the newer version?
GVD: A new sticker?
SW: New version has new CD design, some alterations in the notes/inlay & is pressed in the region of 500 copies. The Australian copies (around 100) might have a patch or pick included.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
GVD: It's been mostly positive...but there's always some useless cunt who has an opinion. We do what we do. Like us or not, we're going to keep doing what we do because it's our band. Our music is the best stuff we can write at that time. We work incredibly hard. If you don't like it, don't listen. Go fucking create your own music.
SW: People who like it buy it of course. One mans trash is another mans treasure. The consensus is usually positive.
BG: So far it has been mostly positive. Fans of the old-school really enjoy it. Those who don’t enjoy it can fuck off. 

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
SW: My electronic project is on hold & I no longer play in any other bands. It's really all about the next Vahrzaw record this year.
BG: As well as Vahrzaw, I also play in the bands Eskhaton and Hobbs Angel of Death. Eskhaton is currently writing and rehearsing for the upcoming record with a few shows wherever possible. Hobbs is currently organizing a gig for the end of year with many legendary Melbourne bands.
11.When can we expect a newer album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
GVD: Next year. Our songs are a little more technical and the song structures are a bit more intricate. Other than that, we'll always be a blackened DM band.
SW: It'll be 25 years since we formed the band next year so the album will coincide with that anniversary in some way. The style shifts around a central theme from release to release. The same but different in slight ways. More lead guitar and harmony work on this new album.
BG: Next year at some point. Our songs are more erratic as well as more technical. We'll always be a black/death band.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
GVD: In both cases, old-school bands (e.g., Mayhem, Dissection).
SW: I'm listening to everything from Sunn to old Swedish death & Norwegian classics to Aphex Twin to Zappa. Anything can trigger an idea.
BG: More of the 'classic' black/death metal bands are usually the inspiration that you can hear on most of the albums. Currently listening to Mayhem, Destroyer 666, Cemetery Urn, Trenchrot.

13.What are some of your non-musical interests?
GVD: Science. Watching movies. My family. Fixing my house.
SW: Collecting music & pop culture items. Good food. Movies (although they are 90% shit). My animals. Amassing more guitars. Art. Simple easy living with no bullshit.
BG: Collecting CDs, going for bushies.

14.Before we wrap up this interview do you have any final words or thoughts?
GVD: Thanks for the interview.
SW: Look out for the new album on Blood Harvest next year and pick up a copy of the official re-issue of 'Twin Suns & Wolves Tongues' on the 26th of August from the Blood Harvest bandcamp/web-store. Available straight from us from Facebook/Bandcamp too.
BG: HIPSTERS NOT WELCOME.