This  is  a  review  of  a  compilation  album  from  Minnesota's  Amiensus  and  Oak  Pantheon  which  contains  their  "Gathering I" ep of  2013  and  "Gathering  II"  ep  in  2018  and  will  be  released  on  a  single  album  in  May  of  2019  as  a  joint  effort  between  Casus  Belli  Musica  and  Beverina  and  we  will  start  the  review  with  the  tracks  from  Amiensus  a  band  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  progressive  form  of  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  compilation  starts  out  with  some  acoustic  guitars  which  also  add  elements  of  folk  music  onto  the  recording.  Atmospheric  and  folk  elements  can  also  be  heard  in  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  and  all  of their  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  music  getting  very  progressive  at  times.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  grim  black  metal  screams  and  clean  vocals.  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  which  also  gives  the   songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  post  metal  elements.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophy,  theology,  psychology,  and  mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  these  are  some  very  great  sounding  tracks  from  Amiensus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out t heir  side  of t he  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Arise".

  Next  up  is  Oak  Pantheon  another  band  that  has  also had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  post  black  metal  with  elements of  folk  music.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  heavy  yet  melodic  riffing  which  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  goth  rock.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  their  side  of  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  most  of  their  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  are  utilized  it  gives  their  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  When  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  bring  in  elements  of  progressive  and  folk  music  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  briefly  while  clean  vocals  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  on  the  closing  track  they  team  up  with  Amiensus.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature  and  philosophy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  these  are  some  very  great  sounding  tracks  from  Oak  Pantheon  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  post  black  metal  with  elements  of  folk  music,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "A  Gathering".

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

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZS7Ojm-XSk 

    

  Norden  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  viking  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Z  Popiolow  i  Krwi"  which  will  be  released  in  May  as  a  joint  effort  between  Casus  Belli  Musica  and  Beverina.

  Water  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  classical  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  while  clean  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.  Once  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  it  starts  adding  in  more  of  an  epic  viking  or  pagan  metal  style  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams.

  Most  of  the  tracks are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  folk  music  elements,  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  style  and  the  album  closes  with  a  cover  of  Bathory's  "The  Land".

  Norden  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  viking   metal  era of  Bathory  but  also  mixes  it  with  a  more  modern  pagan/black  metal  style  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Polish  and  cover  Viking  Mythology  and  History.

  In  my  opinion  Norden  are  a  very  great  sounding  viking/black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Jam  Tywm  Orlem"  and  "The  Land".  8  out  of  10.

NORDEN FACEBOOKNORDEN BANDCAMP

  

  Belarus's  solo  project  Pa  Vesh  En  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  his  raw  style  of  ambient  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  ep  "Cryptic  Rites  Of  Necromancy"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Iron  Bonehead  Productions.

  Ambient  style  soundscapes  start  off  the  ep  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times. Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  as  well as  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  raw  style  when  they  are  utilized.

  On  this  recording  Pa  Vesh  En  remains  true  to  the  raw  ambient  black  metal  style  of  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  dark, raw  and  lo-fi  while  the  lyrics  cover  death  and  necromancy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Pa  Vesh  En  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient  and  raw  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Witness  of  Ceremonial  Witcher"  and  "Entwined  With  Snakes".  8  out  of  10.

https://soundcloud.com/iron-bonehead-productions/pa-vesh-en-entwined-with-snakes/s-TrT9H
        

Pale Misery Interview w/ guitarist Jacob Neu

{Questions are paraphrased here}
1). Tell us a little bit about the band?
Conception of Pale Misery began in early 2018, with Thorn and Garret joining forces as a two-piece actually. They were in a previous project together as well. In the early days the rough demos of what was to become Black Candles and Gutter Scum were written. The two of them juggled through a couple of added members and line up variations, but the roles were finally cemented when I was formally asked to join. After some time the three of us truly believed we’d found our angle sound wise, and hit the ground running with rehearsals and finishing compositions for the last remaining tracks on the album. For the most part we enjoy the practice of DIY when it comes to our music and how we want to represent it. We self-record / produce, even the gear and tones are far from standard. Most would consider some of our gear choices quite sinful. Also, I’d like to add that as of February 2019, we’ve had the pleasure of adding in a second guitarist by the name of Bailey Peltier. Who provides the richness and layers to the sound that we just weren’t getting as a three-piece.

2). Tell us more about the musical style you went for on your upcoming album?
We knew our goal was to create atmosphere not only through the individual tracks, but also sonically, through the recording methods. Evoking some of the characteristics of second wave black metal and other signature sounds, we knew without question we desired and non-polished mix at the end of the day. We wanted to accentuate filth, and intensity via guitar tones and by using a lo-fi, somewhat vintage approach. Stylistically, this album contains elements of early black metal, stoner/doom, and of course it beckons moods of hardcore/ crust punk. For us the album really paints a picture and provides the atmosphere we desired.

3). What do you do differently as far as other blackened crust bands?
We believe our music is a fresh approach to the blending of these genres. It’s important to note the Doom inspirations as well. You wont simply find trem-picked, sped up hardcore. For that mix is pretty easy to create, and can be quite formulaic. Our inspirations range far and wide, and we all come from pretty different musical backgrounds, so the material is pretty respective of that. We’ve sort of leaned slightly less on the actual crust elements, and more on using small respective elements of both black metal and crust (and more) to create the atmosphere we desired. Both if used in a specific way, have great emotional essence to their being, and we’ve used elements of both to transcend a simple textbook definition of the sound.

4). Explain the lyrical content?
To me, the lyrical content explores giving into ones human nature, and the dark desires that come with it. Not only giving into your own temptations, but reveling in the worlds’ darkness as whole. It’s an exploration of the modern human condition, the environment this condition has molded. We learn to adapt, like the animals we are, to this modern world. While the lines of good and evil can seem to blur…

5). What Is the meaning behind the name pale misery?
Although it does induce a certain feel, its pretty much a non-sense name. I suppose the black metal aspect could come out in the idea of “Pale” referring to the light of the moon, or the pale moon, for the Bloodborne fans out there. And Misery essentially captures an image of the overall mood and sound. We basically had a really solid name in the early days that we really dug, but had to drop it due to another band already existing. So we bounced through a slew of names, but found Pale Misery to be a good representation. Oh, and we were also tired of using the word “Black” in every metal band name.

6). Tell us a little more about the artwork?
The album artwork is a modernized illustration from the Divine Comedy, an Italian poem from the 14th century. This writing is full of visual inspiration, and its illustrations really resonated with us when trying to combine a visual aspect to the music.

7). Best shows?
Pale Misery hasn’t actually played its first gig yet, however the bookings have begun. Our first show in late May will prove to be a hell of a debut. Since it has been formally announced anyway, Ill include here that our first gig we’ll be sharing the stage with EYEHATEGOD. Which means quite a bit to us…

8). Any touring plans or shows lined up after the album release?
We certainly plan on playing what we consider to be the appropriate shows after the album release. Especially when it comes to leaving our hometown scene.

9). Looking out for any labels or received any interest?
As it is very early in Pale Misery’s existence, we’re certainly keeping our eyes peeled. But we’ve got some hurdles to jump before thinking about any labels.

10). On a worldwide level, how has the reaction to your music been?
Well, we’re still in our infancy unfortunately, so that’s hard to say. However feedback on a small scale has been extremely positive. But we look forward to more exposure.

11). Where do you see the musical direction heading in the future?
We definitely think it’s important to grow and evolve, and once again with such a vast stretch of influences among us, we certainly will explore new areas for the next release. This album is what we were feeling creatively at the time, and were quite proud of it. It captures aggression and atmosphere we wanted, but our eyes are far out to the horizon for the second release. Black Candles and Gutter Scum is merely the birth of Pale Misery.

12). What are some of the bands or musical styles that influence your music?
Once again our backgrounds vary widely, but I’d say there are some tangible inspirations directly responsible for Pale Misery. Obviously there’s first and second wave second wave black metal acts, such as Celtic Frost, Mayhem and Darkthrone. More modern influences such as Dragged Into Sunlight and Nails, to name a couple. Lots of experimental/ psych/ electronic as well for some of us. Shoe-Gaze, ambient, drone, traditional sludge and stoner doom to be brief. I personally pretty much remain in the realms of black metal and doom, with a lot of variety mixed in. However lately I’ve been trying to dig deeper and explore more underground acts such as THROTH, Heron and Deathfortress to name a few.

13). Non-musical interest?
Well not a ton, we enjoy getting out to local shows with our buds, and the occasional craft beer for myself. We try to squeeze in some D&D here and there, the occasional video games, so on and so forth. Mostly just trying to find and ingest more music. Thorn is generally a gear head, so he spends a lot of time tinkering with amps and moding pedals, which isn’t actually non-musical I suppose haha. Garret is actually a personal trainer, so he’s pretty involved with that both as a passion and a day job. Overall, we just enjoy hanging out as a group, listening to albums, and so on. Especially with the addition of Bailey, we have a good time just shooting the shit and writing...

14). Final Thoughts?
Well first off Pale Misery would like to thank you for the opportunity to answer some questions and get some info out there. Also we’d like to remind everyone that Black Candles and Gutter Scum is available now for pre-order via bandcamp, and the full release follows on May 31st of 2019. Check out our social media pages as well for updates and new content!
Instagram: @palemiseryofficial
FB: @palemiseryofficial

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?

Yeah, Salix Babylonica started on 2016 when I contacted Atroz, through a common friend who helped us, I explained to him my thoughts and where I focused my lyrics and how I would like to accompany it with doom atmospheres, where melancholy should prevail. He agreed to play the music and we debuted on the Split "Exclamation of Hidden Disorders" in 2017 with six bands from all over the world. Unfortunately Atroz left the project in 2018. Now I continue with a great friend and musician of my country, H12.  I also share other projects him.


2.How would you describe the musical style that you have went for so far on the releases that you have been a part of?

I do not fit into any genre, however, from the beginning the idea was to create a very melancholy atmosphere of doom metal with touches of black metal. I could consider it as simply “melancholy metal”.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music?
Undoubtedly depression, anxiety and sensitivity are the topics that prevail in my lyrics. Also the idea of accepting melancholy as a beautiful and necessary part for the idea of creating all kinds of art in a very masochistic but sublime way finally. All my lyrics have their reasons, their experiences, their traumas and inspirations.


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Salix Babylonica'?

Salix Babylonica means "weeping willow".
There is a tale in the Bible from which the idea that it is a "tree of laments" is taken. However, I was inspired by the decayed beauty that this tree possessed.  Its form inspires me, makes me identify with it. When I see them I consider them as the strongest sadness in the world that manages to flourish, tired, sore, gloomy but beautiful.
I also explain it in the song "The Willow".

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on your side of the split?

Well, is related to the song "Dead birds of the city", in fact I wanted to put the image of the bird that inspired me to write the theme, but this one looked a lot like the cover "Brave Murder Day" of Katatonia, that's why we decided not to put it.
I took this picture on very sad day where I was going to my classes at university. The bird that appears there was a blackbird crying under the tree.

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding your line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?


Of course, if any musician is interested in expanding this idea, it would be great. I feel good with my partner H12, I share several projects with him. He is a great musician and I know he would also like the idea of playing live. I feel comfortable with him, I know him well and our sensibility is similar. It is difficult to find people like that and if some day more members join the project I hope they can share a bit of that sensitivity.

7.So far all of your music has been on splits, are there any plans for an ep or full length on the future?

Yes, of course, I dream of releasing a full album of Salix Babylonica. I hope to redo and improve the vocals for the songs that Atroz did in the past, because they are great, and also include the latest works and other songs of which I have lyrics but not music. I need a complete album of Salix Babylonica to be able to die in peace.


8.on a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and doom metal?

Well, Salix's music is not well known for obvious reasons, we have very few works, we need to continue improving. But the few reactions I've received have been positive despite how small the dissemination. I think it helps us a lot to make splits with bands that have been making art for longer, but I want to have something distinctive about the project for the future, I really hope to do it.

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

Musically speaking I hope to improve my voice and include music much more inclined to Funeral / Doom, because those environments I feel appropriate for my lyrics.
I want to continue creating songs and venting, because I have a lot to shout. I want to continue with my friend and definitely create a full-length album.
For now I am busy completing my thesis and studying various types of dance. But once I feel more stable I want to dedicate myself much more to music, because it is the most important art in my life, it is my life.

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?

Oh, this is difficult, because when I start talking about music I can’t stop.
I will try not to elaborate too much on the subject. I love many musical styles, from classical and neoclassical music, international folklore, then there is metal and most of its subgenres, I am also a lover of synth music, synth-pop, dark-synth, and also of post-punk, minimal-wave, power electronics, cold-wave, and a lot of "waves" ...
I also like neo-folk, electronic, industrial, trip hop, and more. I love tango, too much, and most of the sad music created from the 50's until now. I always like to investigate melancholic composers or those who have suffered disorders, this is something fascinating for me.
As for the artists that I have as personal influence are Nick Cave, David Gold, Chelsea Wolfe, Meiko Kaji, Billie Holiday, Rezső Seress, Nina Simone, Roman Sidorov, Ólafur Arnalds ... and others.
Actually, the bands I love most in my life are Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Agalloch, Nargaroth, Woods of Ypres, Tiamat, Katatonia, Anathema, Archive, Canaan, Sundown, Hypocrisy, Sargeist, Thy Light,  Total Death, Evadne, Candlemass, Rapture, Psychonaut 4, Joy Division, Amesoeurs, Minuit Machine, Культура Курения, Tropic of Cancer ... and many more.
The music of Salix Babylonica has inspirations from bands like Woods of Ypres, Swallow the Sun, Wine from Tears, Novembers Doom, Totalselfhatred, Funeral Tears, 1000 Funerals and Forest of Shadows, of course we don´t have the same sound, but they are some inspirations.
So, I listen a lot of styles… too many genres. Additionaly I listen a lot of Arabic and Indian music because of the dance I study. Like you see, metal (especially doom metal) is something fundamental in my life, it is the subgenre with which I identify myself, but I listen to many things and I love what I hear. I love being a music lover and have the ability to enjoy so many genres and I still have open mind for any type of music that can give off and shake up feelings on me.

11.Does Occultism play any role in your music?

No, it isn't. This is just about free feelings.

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

Yes, I want to deeply thank the comrades who have managed to make Salix a reality: Atroz and H12, without them there would not be Salix Babylonica. Also thanks to Absinthropy for their openness and patience to make this Split, I hope you like it.  Thanks also to Rebecca of Clobber Records.
Thanks to the musicians and artists who inspire me, they are my best company. And finally thanks to melancholy, which allows me to create and let me see its most sublime side.
Sadness is not just to let yourself die, it helps you create something honest, because it’s the most sincere and raw feeling that exists. So if you really feel it, let your being begin to create.

I thank you for the interview.

A. Nostalgie